Not a Fairy Tale
by Crazy Cherries
Summary: Once upon a time she smiled. Once upon a time he loved. Once upon a time they were happy. But this isn't a fairy tale. There are no happy endings, no once upon a times. AU SasuSaku. KibaSaku. Warning: Borderline disturbing content
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not A Fairy Tale**

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When I was young, my mother told me all kinds of things. Stories when I went to bed, threats when I was bad, promises when I was good. But the thing that stuck, what I still remember, is a combination of all three.

I was being bad, I don't remember what it was exactly that I was doing; just that it got my mother mad. I still remember her voice yelling at me, telling me that if I didn't behave the rest of the day I wouldn't get a bedtime story. I really liked my bedtime stories so I was good for the rest of the day.

Then that night, my mother told me a story about a princess whose three wishes came true. I forget most of that story now, but the concept was that the princess behaved, was good and wished hard every night for her three wishes to come true. She could only have three wishes for some complicated reasoning that my little self couldn't understand. But because she was so good, the wishes came true without any backfire whatsoever. I was in awe of the magical fairy tale princess.

"_Mommy, if I'm good will all my wishes come true?"_

"_Yes sweetheart."_

"_Really?"_

"_I promise."_

Like a fool, I believed every word that came out of my mother's mouth. To me my mother was so powerful; she could get my father to do anything she wanted. She was like a goddess and I was a naïve young little girl. All she wanted was for me to behave, she didn't really believe in the story.

But I did.

And I really wanted my wishes to come true. So I did what any other child who'd heard this story would do. I behaved, did all my parents asked and wanted of me. I ate my vegetables, cleared my plate at dinner, cleaned my room, went to school and so much more.

And every night, right before I fell asleep I'd make three wishes. The same three wishes every single night since I heard that story when I was five up until they backfired when I was thirteen.

How many nights is that? I don't know, but I do know that God must have hated me because not only did they not come true. The exact opposite happened.

One by one, they all became impossible in the worst possible way. All of my wishes, all of the things, the people, in my wishes faded away. They were all out of my reach and I, I was left with nothing. Utter darkness. And I did what any other girl my age, any age, would do. I cried.

Not for the wishes, no. The wishes weren't as important to me as the way the backfired. How they backfired. Who they backfired on. And they backfired so exactly like how I wished them that I knew; I just knew that it was entirely my fault. No one else to blame other than me.

And every night, instead of wishing for three wishes I wished to know one thing, just one thing. Why use everyone I care about, to punish me?

What did I do wrong?

"_Wasn't I good enough Mommy?"_

I never got the answer to that question.

* * *

_It's updated! I'm finally restarting this! :D_

_Yay! The prologue/first chapter!_

_So? What do you guys think?_

_It's different from all my normal happy one-shots._

_I'm having writers block for the next part. Let me know what you think. Maybe it'll help me._

_REVIEW!_


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale

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Second week of senior year. I should be exited right? Best year of my life, just starting and all that. Well if you'd guessed right, then you'd be wrong. Here's the reason.

It's horrible to be known as the freak of the school. The girl who once had everything going for her. The girl whose world crashed down and she was left to pick up the fragmented, crushed pieces. Whenever I walk down the hallways and I hear the whispers,

"It's her."

"She's the girl who's parents…?"

"Yeah."

"You want to avoid her, she's crazy."

"All of her friends…?"

"Gone."

"Wonder what happened."

"Poor thing."

"I hear you got the crazy girl as your student this year."

They think I can't hear them, but I can. They think that turning away, that whispering behind their hands will work. It doesn't. Why can't they say this stuff to my face? Why can't they just get it over with? And why, why, do they still whisper about me when I walk down the halls? It's been four years already!

As I walk up to the school, I'm ready to be the center of attention again. Walk down the halls with my head down and hear the whispers that accuse me of being crazy.

I haven't really done anything crazy, since my world crashed, since my parents died, since my friends transferred to another school to avoid me, the craziest thing I've done is scream and punch the walls.

But as I enter the school, the whispers don't immediately pick up. There's a hush. I wonder why, but ignore it. The quiet is much better than the whispers. I already hear enough whispers when I'm at home. When it's all quiet and I can here them.

I turn the corner and stop by my locker. It's still quiet, even though I've made through that part of the hallway. I can tell everyone's still staring at me, so why? Why aren't they whispering? I'm being paranoid. I need to stop, they are whispering, just not about me. I should be relieved.

I grab my book for my first class and look up. Immediately I know why no one has been whispering about me. There at the end of the hall. It's where they stand. And instantly I'm frozen.

"_Sakura! We've missed you!"_

"_Sakura! Where are you going? Wait for me!"_

"_Sakura! Why'd you hit me?"_

I can do nothing but stare at them. I don't think they notice me, but soon they will. I need to go before that happens. But I can't seem to move. My book falls from my hands.

"_Sakura. What the hell are you doing here?_

"_Sakura. Why don't you just leave?"_

"_Sakura. You're not wanted anymore."_

They turn around slowly, I still can't process things. Why are they here? They left. They left to get away from me. Their eyes. Oh gosh, their eyes! I can tell they'd been happy until they turned around. Their eyes are hard, filled with hatred.

And his. His are the worst of all.

Suddenly I get my bearings back. There will be more whispers, about this. But I won't run. I won't let them see how weak I am. I won't let them.

As I turn around to walk away, I see her.

The other girl.

The one who has so obviously taken my place.

"_Sakura?"_

I'm not going to cry anymore.

* * *

_Hey! I've finally updated!_

_If you guys have read the version that I didn't like, I also updated the prologue, so make sure to reread that._

_I couldn't do it when she was older because I needed a confined place where they'd all have to meet each other._

_I hope you like this one better than the one I had on before. I'll have trouble updating because of school, but I'll try every weekend to get the next chapter up._

_Let me know which one you liked better. _

_This one or the last! _


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

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I have to get out, I have to leave. I know I do. But I can't. So I do the next best thing.

I head to the nurse's office, where I can have my very own, very private, Sakura style, mental breakdown.

Instead of ditching school, I'm supposed to come here every time I don't think I can handle something. I'm allowed to just get up and leave class.

Wondering why? It's because my guardian is the principal of the school.

"Hello, Sakura." Shizune says, as I walk into her office.

She won't question me. She won't ask anything unless I give her the signal. The signal is me saying hello right back to her. I don't want to, but I do. I need to talk to someone and she's the one who understands the most. She's the one who knows the most about my past. The truth. Not the lies that swirl around.

"Hello, Shizune." And that's all it takes for her to get up and lead me to the back of the room.

"What happened?" She knows I'll only speak to her if it's really bad.

"They're back." I whisper. "They're back." And suddenly I can't stop saying those two words over and over again. My hands are around my knees and I'm rocking back and forth.

I can hear their laughter.

"_Come on Sakura! We're waiting for you."_

I start rocking faster.

"_What are you waiting here for?"_

Shizune starts muttering under her breath.

"_You're part of the group now!"_

She must have known because she doesn't ask who I'm talking about.

"_In case you haven't noticed, you're out of our group, freak."_

Wet. My face is wet. My tears, I realize with a start. I'm crying. I said I wouldn't cry.

"_Cute."_

I must have passed out, because the next thing I know, Tsunade's there and she and Shizune are arguing.

"I told you it'd be too much for her!"

"I couldn't do anything about it! I was demanded by all of their parents! Do you know how powerful they are?"

"It's all right."

My voice. At the sound they both whirl around and face me.

"Sakura." Shizune begins, all mother-like. "Are you okay?"

"Sakura." Is all Tsunade says, but I can see the worry in her eyes. She's going to be breaking out her alcohol today.

"I'm fine. How long was I out?"

"You missed the whole day." Tsunade answers.

I sigh, and try to go back to acting normal. "I'm going to have to do so much homework." But I won't. I already have all the homework done through next month. All the class work too.

Everyone may think I'm crazy. Even I may think I'm a little crazy. But I'm a genius too.

Tsunade doesn't say anything. Shizune leaves.

I want to ask if I have any classes with them, but I don't. I'm afraid of the answer.

"Shall we go home?"

"Alright." I get up and pick my things up from where I dropped them when I entered. "Let me just put my things into my locker.

Tsunade nods and tells me that she'll meet me in the front, where her car is parked.

I make my way through the school. It must be really late, no one is here. I look up at one of the clocks that are around every corner here.

4:30.

I've been out since 7:30. How long is that? Eight hours. I finally caught up on the sleep I missed last night.

I round the corner and jamb my things into my locker, slam it shut, because I'm still a teenager, and then turn around and head to the front of the school. I pass the art department and I can see the teacher in there. He smiles at me as I walk by, but I don't return it.

Once that was my world. I used to paint in bright colors. I used to paint happy scenes. And he used to say it was beautiful. He used to be my teacher. Now I paint in dull colors. Black. White. Gray. Sometimes a deep dark purple or blue. But it's usually so dark it looks almost black.

Besides I relate deep dark blue to him.

I pass by the music department and I see a girl trying to figure out how to play a song on the piano. Her notes are jumbling together and she's getting frustrated. I know that song. I used to play it when I was little. Before I stopped.

I pass by the main office and there they are. Talking to the secretary.

I know I shouldn't but I stop. I stare at them through the glass. The main office is practically a box near the front of the school made up entirely of glass. All four sides. This way they can see what you're doing at all times.

Before they can see me, I turn around and walk away. I'm going to start crying again. I walk over to Tsunade's car. I tell her that I'm going to walk home.

I do that sometimes, when I need to clear my head and she doesn't question me. She thinks this is because of this morning. She doesn't know that I've just seen them again. Seen how well they can get along without me.

I stare up at the sky as I walk. My hands clasped behind my back. My now long pink hair swishing against my back. My eyes closed. And I hum a little tune underneath my breath.

As I pass the park, a little baby begins to cry.

I cross the street.

"_Hush, little baby, don't say a word…"_

And get hit by a car.

* * *

_Here's a little gift from me to you._

_Not only did I update and fix my other two chapters but I added another one._

_Yes, I know it's short, but the chapters will get longer._

_You are free to hug and review me at will._

_Yes you can also flame me if you liked the other story that I had going on better._


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto_

**Not a Fairy Tale**

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The boy has chocolate brown eyes. That's the first thing I notice.

The second thing I notice is that he's freaking out.

The third thing is that I'm not dead.

The forth? It's that I know him. He goes to my school. He just moved here this year. His name's Kiba.

And I'm sure he's been given my history.

I'd always thought he was pretty scary before. Kind of canine, but friendly, too. I know he has a huge dog named Aka-something.

But he seems okay. After all, he didn't hit me and drive away.

When he finally notices I'm awake, I can see him visibly relax.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"You hit me with your car." It's a statement not a question.

He blushes. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that." He looks down sheepishly. "My fault. But you don't have any wounds that I can tell. Your head's bleeding a little but that's it." I'm not hurt. It's a relief.

But why hasn't he run? Driven away?

I touch my forehead. Blood. A gasp and immediately start shivering. Then comes the rocking back and forth.

"_Sweetie, close your eyes."_

_Blood. Blood everywhere. _

_I'm shaking._

He actually looks concerned.

"_Baby, close your eyes."_

_I obey my mother._

"_Honey, we love you, remember that okay?"_

"Hey? Sakura? You okay?"

"You know my name." Of course he would! Some small part of me is yelling. I'm the crazy girl that he'd get a bio on.

He tilts his head.

He looks kind of like Naruto with the way the sun turns his brown hair kind of golden.

Naruto.

I feel the tears come on.

_A flash of blonde hair._

_Like an angel._

_Cerulean eyes._

_Like the sky_

_A devilish smile._

_Like a fox._

"Leave." It's a command and he looks confused.

"What?"

"Leave now!"

He's not moving. Why isn't he moving?

"_You idiot! You ate my entire cupboard full of ramen!"_

"_I'm sorry. I was just so hungry."_

"_I'm going to hit you. You have ten seconds to run."_

"Please. Just go." I'm on the side of the street now, rushing to get home.

Kiba is calling after me. "Sakura! Sakura wait! I should get you to the hospital to get your head checked." But I ignore him and keep running.

I'd thought I'd be plagued with my parents' memories but instead I get memories of Naruto. Unfair. Totally unfair. He'd been my closest friend. His leaving had hurt the most. Almost as much as my parents', only difference was that he'd left by choice. They hadn't

I'd rather have my parents' haunt me.

Suddenly I'm in my room. I hadn't noticed. I lock the door. Tsunade's pounding on it. She must have followed me. She's calling my name. I ignore her. I begin to cry.

"_You're such an idiot."_

"_But I'm your idiot."_

Always with the witty come backs.

"Sakura! Open the door! Sakura!"

"_What do you want Naruto?"_

"_Ramen?"_

"_Moron."_

_A wide toothy grin._

My hands are covering my ears. I can't make it to the bed. I'm leaning against my door.

"Sakura!"

I shut my eyes, tight; as if by doing this I can erase his image.

"_Naruto? What are you doing here?"_

_My eyes are red from crying._

"_I'm sorry, Sakura, I heard."_

_I close my eyes and lean into his hug._

I'm sobbing. I can't breathe. I'm all sweaty.

_Warm, friendly, cerulean blue eyes._

That was the old Naruto not the one I saw in the hallway. The Naruto in the hallway had hard eyes. Eyes of cerulean stone. He wasn't the same. But still the images keep coming. Now they have him in them, it's hard to compare him with the boy in the hall. His eyes had been the worst.

And suddenly I'm shrieking.

"_Sakura! This is my best friend." _

_The boy next to Naruto blushes lightly, you can barely tell._

"_He's a complete bastard, so if you want I'll kick his ass for you."_

_He glares. I laugh._

Tsunade's probably calling my doctor. My therapist. 911.

I'm going to be put back there, in that horrible place with the white rooms and dead faces. I don't want to go back.

I don't want to be here either.

Why did they have to come back? I was just becoming normal again.

"_Sweet heart, if you ever need us, close your eyes and we'll be there."_

"_Daddy?"_

I do what he'd told me.

And he and my mother are there, hugging me.

"_Love you baby."_

So I open the door.

* * *

_It's still pretty short, but tell me if you like._

_That's 1 updated chapter and 3 other chapters in one day._

_I believe that is a personal best for me!_

_So review as my present!_

_Okay, some people are confused but the italics are her past memories. Things'll get clearer as the story goes on._

_Some of the italics in the last chapter were contradictions. You'll see them if you squint._


	5. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

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As soon as I open the door I'm confronted with an overly-worried Tsunade. That was good. That meant she was laying off the alcohol.

"Sakura! Are you okay? What happened? I almost called your therapist, 911, poison control, the navy!"

I sigh, she always overreacts to everything. But I have to admit, it makes me feel a little better sometimes. More stable.

"I'm fine. Nothing happened, I was just…nothing happened, okay?"

"Honey?"

Taking a deep breath, I fake a smile at her. "Really."

"Sakura." She's using her stern voice.

I sigh. Suddenly the floor is very interesting.

"I was just…I was reminded about…" I hesitate again, before coming out and telling her. "I was reminded about before."

Her face gets all worry lined and I quickly rush through the rest of what I'm going to say. "But I'm okay now. It was just a little thing. So don't worry about it."

"Sa-" she begins, but I don't let her finish.

"Really!" I give her another big fake smile and walk off, towards the stairs so I can go down to the kitchen and grab something to eat, but not before I hear Tsunade.

She says it so quietly I know that I'm not supposed to hear. "Who do you think you're fooling with that fake smile of yours Sakura?"

And it makes me angry. It's the truth but for some reason it makes me really angry. So instead of walking on and pretending like I didn't hear it, I stop and I answer her.

"Myself." I don't turn around.

"Sak-" I flinch a little but keep going.

"_Come on Sak! We're going to be late!"_

Instead of going into the kitchen like I'd planned, I head towards the backdoor. On the way out I grab my keys and phone. I just can't be here right now. I need to be outside. It's where I think best. It had gotten colder and the sun was setting.

How long had she been in her room?

"_Sweetie! You lose track of everything."_

"_Sakura, you were supposed to come home an hour ago."_

"_And we got worried, so we came to get you."_

I collapse on the sidewalk and clutch my stomach. It was my fault. It was all my fault. I'd forgotten to come home. I'd forgotten to call them and tell them I was staying a little late.

I'd forgotten and they'd paid for it.

Clouds gather. It's going to rain soon. I should really be getting home.

But I head in the opposite direction, towards the park. I love the park.

_A crash._

_The sound of metal on metal._

_Screams._

I'd never said sorry to them. For coming to get me. I'd never apologized. For not letting them know where I was.

A raindrop falls onto my face. It drips down my cheek. Like a tear. The rain is my tears.

It's cold out, but I don't mind. I don't mind the rain either. I hate it but it represents me. All watery and after it's done everything is washed out. I've stopped caring about a lot of things and this is one of them.

It starts pouring.

I can see a figure in the distance. It's a man and he's standing in the entrance to the park.

I walk closer and I realize I know who it is.

Rain, rain, go away.

"_Annoying."_

Rain, rain, go away.

"_Sakura."_

Rainraingoaway.

"_Leave."_

Rainrainrainrainrain.

"_Go Away!"_

He was there.

He with the worst eyes in the group.

He who'd been her first love.

He who'd claimed to love her.

He who'd left her.

He who didn't look back.

"_Sasuke…"_

I haven't said his name in a long time. I don't plan on saying it either. I didn't tell his name to my therapist. I didn't tell it to all those people trying to 'help' me. I couldn't write it down either. Tsunade told them for me. My therapist was really understanding. I like her. I only have to visit her on Saturdays now. She says I'm getting better. I think I'll have to visit her before the week is over. I think I've gotten worse. I should tell Tsunade. But I probably won't.

I must have made some kind of movement or something because he looked up, right at me. I was still across the street. So I couldn't see very well, but I think he sneered at me. Gosh I really need to get into that park.

I don't know what to do. I want to go to the park but he's in the way. I want him to move.

"_Sakura, baby, you can't keep running away from everything." _

"_Sometimes you have to face what you're trying to run away from." _

"_It'll get better."_

"_How? How will it get better?"_

"_Trust us. We know. We're your parents."_

I had run away from him a lot…and it had been so long since I'd seen him last. Besides I was going to the park anyway. I was going to breakdown anyway. Why not? Why shouldn't I walk past him? Maybe I'll affect him in some way. Maybe not the way he affects me. But maybe…in some way. Besides I want to know if I still love him. I want to know for sure.

He hates me. I know that. So why am I torturing myself?

It's better knowing. This way I won't be so surprised if it happens again.

Because no matter what's happened. No matter how much he hates me. I know it's hard for me to let him go.

So I cross the street before I can talk myself out of it. I am going to regret this later. I am going to kick myself for this later.

Five steps.

Four.

Three.

Two.

I'm right beside him. I brush his arm as I walk by and get a little tingle of electricity. So I still like him.

I bite my lip, trying to stay in control.

I'm two steps away from him when he speaks.

"I hear you've been in and out of the crazy hut Sakura." My name rolls off of his tongue and I love the way he says it even though his voice was once sweet and now holds venom. He chuckles a bit at the end as if it's some joke. "I hear you went completely over the edge after your parents died. After we left." He's smirking I can tell through his voice.

I don't say anything but I don't move either. My phone starts vibrating but I ignore it.

"Is it true? Could you not handle what you did to us? Or was it something else? Knowing that you were the death of your parents? Huh, Sakura? What caused you to crack?" My phone stops vibrating. My nails have bitten so deep into my palms that they're drawing blood. It's painful.

I will not look at the blood. I will not cry. I will not lose it here. Not in front of him. Not like this.

I will stand silently and I will take it. I will not punch his lights out.

"Poor little Sakura lost her mind. I bet nobody knows the real truth. Do they?"

Things are getting fuzzy around the edges. I feel like I'm about to faint. My phone won't stop buzzing. I know it's Tsunade. I shut my eyes tight. I try to imagine the boy Sasuke used to be. Before.

When did he become so mean?

"_Please! You said you'd stay by me forever. No matter what."_

"_People change Sakura."_

Against my will, the words come out. I will stand mute no longer. "Shut up."

"So the little mouse has got a voice. How surprising. I thought you'd gone mute."

"I said shut up." The world was swaying.

"Who are you to tell me to shut up?"

I say nothing.

"Exactly." His voice is like a dagger slicing through my skin. Through my soul.

"I like the way you used to be. Before."

"People change Sakura." I wince. I can't believe I said that. I can't believe he said that.

"I know."

"The way I am right now. It's your fault."

"I know."

He's staring at me. My phone has finally gone silent. I feel like screaming. I sway.

He's about to speak again. I know it so I walk fast. I walk away from him. And thankfully, he doesn't follow me.

I hide under the slide. Originally I was going to go to the swings but swinging when it's raining is not a good idea.

I have 15 missed calls from Shizune and 32 from Tsunade. I also have 23 messages. I ignore this and just call Tsunade back. I tell her where I am and ask her to pick me up.

She says it will take twenty minutes to get there. I say that's okay I need some time to think out what just happened.

He doesn't love me anymore. I'd known it since he'd left but, him being here, acting like he did just made it all the more real to me. Somehow I don't think I really grasped the concept.

The worst part? It's my fault.

I head out to the main gate to the park.

He's not there anymore, so I wait there until Tsunade pulls up beside me.

"_I love you Sak!"_

I fall asleep as soon as Tsunade helps me into the car.

* * *

_Chapter 5! Finally!  
It's extra long as an apology gift. I know I haven't been updating recently._

_Blame it on my teachers! They suck!_

_Who gives out this much homework anyway?_

_I now have a D- in chem. Because I was doing this for you. Ah well._

_Review? Please?_


	6. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

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"_Hey Sakura!" I hear someone calling out to me, and as I turn around, I smile softly. I know who it is._

"_Sasuke!"_

"_Wait up!" He jogs to catch up to me._

"_Hey." I say with another smile._

"_Hey." He says back, and he has his smirk perfectly in place on his face._

"_You look really happy," I tease, "anything special going on?"_

"_Well, yeah, all of my best friends are coming over for a movie night tonight."_

"_Oh, is that so?" I ask, laughing. "Too bad I'm not invited."_

_He smirks before saying all sarcastic, "Really? Because I could have sworn that you were my best friend Sakura Haruno." He ends the sentence by giving me a huge hug and my laugh turns into a squeal when he starts tickling me._

"_S-stop! Stop!" I say in between breaths._

"_I can't." he says. "I must torture you until you tell me where Sakura is."_

"_I-I'm right here! Now stop!"_

"_And…?" he asks, not stopping._

"_And I'm coming to movie night." I all but scream._

"_Alright then, now that we have that settled." He stops._

"_You…are a…horrible…person." I say, while pointing at him doubled over, trying to catch my breath._

"_If I'm such a horrible person, then maybe I should keep tickling you." He comes forward slowly._

"_Uchiha, don't even think about it." I back away slowly, while trying to protect my sides._

"_Too late!"_

_He starts chasing me as I run down the street, past my house, and heading towards his house. I have a key, so I open the door and run in._

_I pass Sasuke's mom, Mikoto, in the kitchen and she hands me a warm chocolate chip cookie. I smile at her as I head into the family room, where I pass Sasuke's Dad, Fugaku, who's reading on the recliner. He doesn't even look up as I pass him. I go up the stairs with a quick "Hey" to Itachi and into Sasuke's room._

_I laugh, this was a regular occurrence around here._

_A few seconds later, Sasuke makes it into his room looking a little disheveled._

"_Itachi?" I guess._

"_How did you know?" He asks me, as he face plants onto his bed right next to where I'm lying face up._

"_Didn't you know? I have ESP."_

_His muffled laughter fills up the air and I smile. Soon we've settled into a peaceful silence. It doesn't last for long though, because my cell starts ringing. I check the caller ID and role my eyes. It's Naruto._

_I turn to my side and find Sasuke sitting up on the bed now. He motions to my phone in silent question._

'_Naruto.' I mouth while opening the phone and saying, "Hello?"_

"_Sakura!"_

"_Hey, Naruto, what's up?" I ask while getting up and pacing around the room._

"_Bad news." He says non-to-cheerfully._

"_Which is?"_

"_We can't come tonight."_

"_Why not?" I ask while plopping down next to Sasuke's feet._

"_We have detention." Liar. He is lying._

"_All of you?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_All six of you?"_

"_Yeah…"_

"_What did you do because I don't believe that you all got detention." There's no way Hinata or Neji can get detention, it's impossible._

_Sasuke is prodding me, trying to figure out what's up. I hold my finger up to indicate that he needs to hold on because he's not getting anything out of me until this phone conversation is over. He glares, but stops bothering me. I smile victoriously._

"_Okay fine. I got into trouble along with TenTen, Ino and Shikamaru. Hinata and Neji got out of it. Do you believe me now?"_

"_No."_

"_Bu-"_

_The phone's taken away from him and Ino comes on._

"_Listen girl. We are giving you and Sasuke some alone time. Just tell him that we got detention and that Neji and Hinata got away with it, because Hinata's dad intervened but he's pissed okay?"_

"_Bu-"_

"_You're welcome!" And she hangs up._

"_Aurgh!" I slam my phone down onto the bed next to me_

"_Now will you tell me what happened?" Sasuke asks._

"_Well, you have to change your plans." He arches a brow. "You have to suffice with just little old me instead of all of your best friends."_

"_I can live with that." He smirks. "But why?"_

"_You don't want to know." I sigh. "Trust me."_

"_Alright then let movie night begin!"_

_And he leans over me to turn on the movie._

_I snuggle next to him._

_There is a reason I'm in love with Sasuke Uchiha._

_And it seems like he can read my thoughts because he brings his mouth next to my ear and whispers, _

"_I love you Sakura."_

"Sakura! Sakura? Honey, wake up. We're home."

"Mmm." I'm groggy and disappointed and shocked and all these other emotions. My first coherent thought is that it was just a dream. I feel like crying. It had felt so real. It had felt like I was still there, safe in the old Sasuke's arms.

Why did I have to have that dream now? Now when the memory of his newfound hatred is fresh in my mind?

The people we used to be and the people we are now clash and I can't help but wonder if this is our destiny. I can't help but wonder if Neji was right all those years ago. That there's destiny. That we can't change our future.

I walk inside and up to my bedroom. I close the door and lay down on the soft green bed. When my parents were alive my bed had been blue.

When they were alive I had medals and trophies and artwork everywhere. I had pictures tacked up to the walls. My room used to be a thousand different colors filled with a million different memories.

Now it's empty. It's the room of a stranger. The bed of a stranger. The home of a stranger.

I don't belong among this anymore.

My room holds nothing personal. Nothing to represent me. Everything that used to be me is packed up in and big brown boxes underneath my bed and at the bottom of my closet. I can't stand to look at it.

I feel like crying but I know I can't.

I can't stop remembering my past.

I can't stop remembering how I used to climb out from the Cherry Blossom tree right outside my window when I was grounded.

How I used to race Naruto to the Ramen stand.

How I used to try and beat Shikamaru at various mind games.

How I used to fight with Ino.

How I used to play the piano with Hinata.

How I used to paint with TenTen.

How I used to tease Neji.

How I used to know every little thing that meant Sasuke.

How Sasuke used to know every little thing that represented me.

I can't help but think that even though I broke a thousand promises-

_I will always love you._

I can't help but think that he broke the one that mattered most.

* * *

_Yay! Done!_

_I've actually had most of this written for a week. I did it during Spanish one day and when I came home I couldn't find it. __It turns out my Spanish teacher had it. Apparently I'd left it in her class._

_I wrote this chapter in mostly dream format because I wanted to contrast how Sasuke was before and how he is now._

_Like I said on my profile, this fic haunts me and I keep writing bits and pieces on random scraps of paper. I even have some of the next chapter planned out._

_I think next chapter I'll let you into some of what happened. Maybe give you one of Sakura's wishes if people review._

_I wanna thank those who always review first though. Without you guys, I don't think I would continue the fic. Reviews are always nice._

_So review and let me know what you think, because I need inspiration._


	7. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

As soon as I walk into school I hear the whispers begin again. I walk down the hallways trying to ignore everyone, putting up that wall between me and them that I was good at for the past few years.

For some reason it doesn't come up.

"Look."

"She's come back."

"I'd have thought she'd transfer-"

"Just like them."

"Think she'll-"

"Freak."

"She's already crazy."

"Think she'll-"

"Have class with-"

"Them?"

"Who knows?"

"Who cares?"

I make it to my locker and, unfortunately, there are two girls speaking about me at their locker. I can hear every word. Can they not tell that I am here?

Of course they can't. I'm nobody.

"Tsunade is the principal; she'll probably make sure they don't have classes together."

"Yeah, but Tsunade won't have any choice if they want to be in the same classes as her."

"And why would they want that? Didn't they transfer to avoid her?"

"Who knows? They transferred back didn't they? They asked for lockers right next to her didn't they?"

I gasp. That can't be true. They couldn't have asked for lockers near me. They hate me. Even if they'd wanted to forgive me, he won't let them.

The two girls finally leave as I grab my books out of my locker.

And then they came around the corner. Right to the lockers on either side of me. Sasuke on one side, his girlfriend Karin on the other. Naruto, Hinata, and Neji right by Sasuke, and Ino, Shikamaru, and TenTen right by Karin.

I freeze.

They continue to speak to each other over my head as if I am not standing in between all of them.

I can't skip classes again. More whispers will ensue. Besides, I try to reason with myself, I need to know if they're in my classes.

I need to know why they're haunting me.

I slam my locker and begin to walk away, but they slam their lockers too and follow me.

I don't know what to do. I want them to go away.

I want them to go away before I lose myself again. I don't want to lose myself like yesterday.

I don't want them to have that power over me.

I don't want so many things…but I deserve them.

"Sakura! Hey! Wait up!" My head snaps up.

Someone's calling me. Someone actually wants to talk to me of their own free will. I'm shocked.

I look up, and I can't believe my eyes. It's Kiba.

He pushes past Naruto and looks at me with concern, he can sense my fear.

Suddenly I can see Naruto. Not the one that's standing behind him, but the old one in Kiba.

"_Sakura? You okay?"_

"_I-I can't be here."_

"_It's okay. I'll take you home, come on."_

_An arm around my shoulder, him leading me out the door making excuses for me._

He'd taken me home that night.

And just like that night, Kiba can sense my discomfort. He can sense that I don't want to be sandwiched in between all my old friends.

The ones who're trying to torture me. Who won't leave me alone.

Kiba tilts my head up and he looks in my eyes.

Why is he being so kind to me? Treating me different from the others? He's seen how crazy I can get.

Maybe he feels pity for me. But his eyes. They seem so open, so trusting. They betray only concern for me.

"_The eyes are the gateways to the soul."_

"_Sure."_

"_Seriously, Sakura, that's how I can always tell when you're lying."_

I hadn't believed her back then. I do believe her now.

How long had it been since someone new cared about me for me?

Suddenly he smiles.

His eyes tell me that he's going to take me away from them.

"I'm glad to see that the wound on your head has closed up. You can't even tell that you'd gotten hurt."

"Head wounds bleed a lot, even if they aren't serious."

He blinks and frowns for a second. In that second my heart sinks, before floating back up when he smiles and says, "That's cool! How'd you know that?"

"She wants to be a doctor." A voice that isn't mine answers and I look up to find Naruto standing with his face inches from Kiba's. I'm shocked. That seems to be happening a lot lately.

"Really?" He asks me.

"I used to. Not anymore."

"Why?" He seems genuinely curious.

I give a little shake of my head. It's barely noticeable, but he catches it and his face draws with some sort of understanding.

"Well that's alright. You don't have to tell me. Come on, I wanna show you something." He drags me away from them and I'm so relieved.

"Thank you." I whisper. He looks down and smiles at me, not letting go of my arm until we're around the corner.

"It looked like you really wanted to get away from them and no one else looked like they were going to help you, so I decided to step in. Let you know chivalry isn't dead." He winks at me. And I can't help but offer him, surprisingly, a smile.

A true, real smile.

"_There's that Sakura-style smile. I think even the angels are jealous of that smile Sak."_

"Hey you smiled!"

That just makes me smile a little more.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it looked like you hadn't smiled in a while. But don't worry I won't tell anyone. Our little secret." He makes a shushing motion.

"Why are you so nice to me?" I need to know why I seem to trust him so much even though I barely know him, and he hit me with a car yesterday. Besides he's new, he may hate me as soon as he hears the rumors.

"Well, I've heard the rumors, but I believe that everyone deserves a second chance. I was given one, so why shouldn't you?" He shrugs, before continuing with, "Come on, we're going to be late to class. I have the same schedule as you and I sit next to you in every class, but they're there too."

I nod and follow him to class, where he sticks to me like glue.

Until lunch comes along.

"Well…I need to go to the library. Do you have to buy your lunch? I can wait for you, if you want."

"No. It's fine. I'll meet you in the library in a few minutes. They've already sat down, so I think I'll be okay." I smile at him.

I've been doing that all day.

It's been scaring me.

It's been scaring everybody.

I head over to the lunch line as Kiba goes the opposite direction, towards the library so he can finish his homework.

As soon as I step into line, they get up and head over, standing behind me. I flinch a little but I decide to stay there.

"Sakura…how've you been?" I flinch. I could detect the small bit of worry in his voice. How could Naruto ask me this? He knew how good I am at reading into emotions from just words.

That's how I became so close to Sasuke years ago…I'd known exactly what he was saying…

"I don't believe I owe you an answer." I don't believe I should have answered at all.

I can feel him flinch behind me.

"I believe you do owe him an answer Sakura. You were the one to ruin his life weren't you?" Sasuke's voice flows towards me with the same amount of bitterness it held yesterday night.

"I'm alright Naruto." I head out of the line. I should've done it in the beginning.

"I can't believe you dated that Sasu!" A shrill, high pitched voice, that can only belong to Karin, says to Sasuke before I'm even out of hearing distance.

After climbing up the stairs, instead of heading left to the library, I head towards the nurse's office.

"Hello, Sakura."

"Hello, Shizune."

And once again she gets up and leads me to the back room.

"What's wrong sweet heart? You were perfectly fine this morning! I saw you in the hallway and you were smiling with some boy. You'd made a friend! Did he hurt you?" She looks concerned.

"No. It's not him." Her looks darken.

"It's them isn't it?" I nod. She sighs.

"What did they do?"

"They've been following me. They-they won't leave me alone." I start to sob.

"Where's that boy, surely he was protecting you?"

"Kiba." I choke out.

"Where's Kiba?"

"He went to the library because I told him that I'd be fine for a few minutes without him."

"But you knew they'd bother you."

"I didn't want to bother him."

"And now he's going to be all worried. You should have kept him with you. He wanted to help you sweetie. Not a lot of people offer that anymore, now do they?"

The door to the back room slamming open prevents me from answering. It's Kiba and Tsunade.

"Sakura." They both breathe out relived.

Tsunade takes Shizune out, surely to talk to her about what happened, get all the details.

"How'd you know I was here?" I ask, wiping the tears off my face with the edges of my sleeves.

"When you didn't show up in the library, I kind of freaked and headed down to the cafeteria, and when you weren't there I figured something had happened, so I headed to the principal's office, 'cuz she's your guardian right? And she ran here and I followed her."

"Thank you." For caring.

"You're welcome. You can't get rid of me that easily, Saks."

I giggle a little. "Saks?"

"What? You don't like it?" He frowns.

"No." I smile gently at him. "I love it."

"Good, cuz that's your new name."

He takes my arm and leads me out of the nurse's office.

"Good-bye, ladies, I will be taking Miss Sakura out to the library. We will be at our next class on time. Not a moment after the bell. I bid you two a happy day."

I giggle a little more and snort.

"What was that?"

"You snort, when you giggle. Cute."

"Shut up!" I slap his arm.

"Dang, you're strong." I grin sheepishly.

"Self-defense classes?"

"Nicely done."

"Not afraid that I'm gonna beat you up Inuzuka?"

"Bring it Haruno."

I stop abruptly and he walks a few more steps before stopping and turning around confused.

"Sakura?"

"You do know that my parents died in a car crash right?"

"Yeah…"

"You do know that it was my fault?"

His eyebrows bunch together. "How so?"

"I was at his house, Sasukes..." I said his name for the first time in years.

"And I forgot to call them to tell them that I was going to be a little late. They…they got worried…" I sob again. "And they came looking for me. There was a semi and the guy driving it was driving drunk…and…"

"Sakura…"

"And…he ran them over. They didn't even have a chance. They were dead by the time the ambulance got there."

"Sakura…"

"So it's my fault. It's my fault that their dead."

"Sakura! It's not your fault." He grabs me by my shoulders.

"Yes it is!" I'm shaking my head.

"Saks! We all make stupid mistakes!"

"Not like mine! My parents are dead because of me! My best friends hate me for what I did to them! I SOLD THEM OUT! I KILLED MY PARENTS!" I'm crying so hard that I can barely get the words out.

"When I was little…I went out and played in the street, even though my mom kept telling me not to. I never listened to her. I loved playing in the streets, it was so much better than playing on the sidewalk. More space."

He'd caught my attention now. I was looking up at him silently, tears running down my face.

"Well one day…one day there was a big truck coming down the road and the driver couldn't see me. I'd fallen down on the road and my mom, she'd seen me and…and she ran in the way of the truck, pushing me towards the sidewalk, she'd gotten run over instead of me."

"Kiba…"

"At first I'd thought her death was my fault, just like you do with your parents. For years I thought it was my fault and for a time my dad and sister did too…but then they didn't…suddenly it was like the world forgave me and it took a while but I…I stopped thinking that her death was my fault. So you see Saks? All you need is one person to forgive you. Then you start forgiving yourself for something that was never your fault in the first place. And you know what else Saks? I forgive you."

_"We forgive you Sakura, it's our job as parents."_

I hug him. "Thank you."

* * *

_K, extra long chappie just cuz of the meanness that I portrayed towards you for not updating for like two weeks._

_I hope you like this chapter, and please accept my apology?_

_Don't forget to review! Cuz I 3 my reviewers, without them this fic would be all old and dusty and still on chapter two._


	8. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale

* * *

**

The rest of the day I was on a cloud. I floated from class to class not even noticing my old friends. I couldn't stop smiling.

And people noticed.

At first they couldn't figure it out.

At first they thought that Kiba and I were dating.

They still can't figure it out.

I know Sasuke can't. He's getting irritated and Karin's getting worse. I can't help but wonder why he would feel irritated over it.

But I know the reason. And I think Kiba does too.

It's because Kiba forgave me. Something Sasuke's never been able to do. I think I've been looking for that. I think I've been looking the forgiveness that Kiba has given me so freely. I think I've been waiting to not be judged anymore.

I think I've been waiting for someone who wants to be my friend of their own free will.

And Kiba has given that to me.

Its odd how in only one day, I went from wanting school to end as soon as it possibly could, to wishing it was longer.

But soon the day ends and the bell rings. Soon I'm at my locker with Kiba.

"You know, I think I'm glad you hit me with your car." I say with a smile that he no doubt can't see.

"Really? I thought that you'd be glad I hit you with my car."

I slam my locker shut and frown, "Isn't that what I just said?"

"No. You said 'I think I'm glad I you hit me with your car,' where as I said, 'I thought you'd be glad I hit you with my car.' See the difference? You said think instead of are."

"Shut up." I slap his arm. He rubs it.

"_Shut up."_

_I slap his arm. He rubs it._

"_That hurt Sakura. You're too strong for your own good."_

"_I told you to shut up, didn't I Naruto?"_

"You're strong." He mutters and looks like a kicked puppy. Déjà vu.

"_We both know you didn't mean it."_

I stick my tongue out. "Is that a compliment?"

"Maybe."

"Wel-"

"Move." It's a command and I don't even have to look up to know who it is.

"Sorry man." Kiba says backing off and Sasuke starts to spin the dial on his lock.

"Bye Kiba. I'm gonna meet up with Tsunade."

"Bye Saks."

I head out the door and run to Tsunade's car.

"How was your day, Sakura?"

"Good!" I shoot her a smile.

I think she's getting used to my smiles.

"I thought so. You haven't smiled like that in…years…"

"_You never smile anymore."_

"_I know." _

I give another smile, a sad one.

"_I miss them Sakura. I miss your grins. And I think your teeth miss seeing the world."_

"It's coming up." I whisper.

"I know." She says and pulls out of the school parking lot.

I stare out the window. Looking at the scenery pass by so quickly. By car we only live five minutes away from the school and soon Tsunade's pulling into the garage.

"I'm going up to my room. I'll be doing my homework, okay?"

"Sure honey. See you later."

But when I get to my room I don't start my homework.

Today I remembered something. Something I'd forgotten. Something Kiba reminded me of.

I look around my room. Wondering where I would have put the small box.

Looking around, I can't help but want to put something that represents me on the walls. Something that represents Sakura.

But I don't know what. I don't remember how to be myself.

And I realize with a start that I miss myself.

I miss how I used to be.

Even though I can never be that again.

It's like missing a dead person.

And then I realize that Tsunade must feel the same way when she looks at me.

I realize that I've been dead for the past few years.

And Kiba has resurrected me.

I sit down and start pulling out all the boxes from my past life out from under the bed, then go to my closet and pull out all of the boxes from the bottom of my closet. I'm in a hurry.

They're all dusty.

I stare at them for a moment. Hesitant.

"_Live a little Sakura."_

And then I open them.

And dive headfirst into my old life.

The first box holds medals. Trophies. Certificates.

My eyes mist over.

I pull the first one out.

Art.

"_Sakura, your art is beautiful why don't you enter it in the annual school art competition?"_

_It's a painting of the school hallway, people rushing to get to class._

"_I don't really like it."_

"_Nonsense! It's wonderful."_

"_It's…different…I like my other paintings."_

"_Well, you don't have to use this one. Your other paintings are good too."_

"_You really like this one?"_

_His eyes sparkle._

"_Yes."_

"_Alright."_

"First place for the blurred faces."

This box doesn't hold what I'm looking for, so I push it out of the way.

Reaching into the second one I find it's full of pictures.

The one on the very top is of all of us. We're all smiling. The background shows my old backyard.

I still remember when it was taken. A few months before everything happened.

"_Sakura! Come on! We're gonna be late!"_

_I clomp down the stairs in three-inch boots._

"_How can we be late? Everybody is meeting us here!"_

_Ino grins._

"_Well…"_

"_Pig you're such an idiot."_

"_Sakura! That hurts my feelings."_

_She pouts._

"_Aw, Piggy did that hurt your feelings?"_

"_Yes!"_

"_Good."_

"_You're so mean forehead."_

"_I know. I'm proud of it."_

"_Just come on! We need to finish setting up for Shika's birthday!"_

My eyes mist over. She was my closest girl friend.

The next one is of me and Sasuke.

He's tickling me.

I hadn't even known they'd taken it until Ino'd given it to me.

"_Come on Sakura! Say it."_

"_NO!"_

"_Fine, I guess I'll just have to tickle you again."_

"_Stay away Uchiha!"_

_He looks wounded._

"_Is that anyway to talk to your magnificent boyfriend?"_

"_Yes."_

_I squeal as he reaches for me again and climb up the tree._

_But he's grabbed a hold of my leg and he yanks me down and starts tickling me._

"_I GIVE! LEMME GO!"_

"_Good. It's about time. Now let's go get some ramen. And remember, I'm paying."_

"_If you'd let me stay up in that tree I would be the one paying."_

"_You're such an idiot Saku."_

"_You're just jealous of my obvious awesomeness Uchiha."_

"_Mm-hmm. Sure."_

A tear lands on the photo.

I shove the two pictures back into the box and close it.

I should really label the boxes, so I can find what I'm looking for.

And maybe so I don't open that box again.

Shoving it aside I reach for the third one.

"_Third tries the charm."_

It holds only one thing. A small jewelry box. Just what I was looking for.

"_For you."_

Slowly I take it out of the too-big cardboard box it has hidden in.

"_What is it?"_

And I snap the latch, slowly opening it.

* * *

_Wow, I think it's been like a month since I've last updated this fic?_

_I'm sorry. I was going to but then I lost it._

_And then…well something really bad happened and I couldn't do this fic for a while._

_And last week I had all these tests and stuff, but it's Thanksgiving break, so I'm hoping to update another chapter before going back to school!_

_I haven't been writing this in a while so let me know if you notice any of the facts were messed up or something._

_Sorry again!_


	9. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

When I was younger there were a lot of things that I took for granted. My parents, my friends, my boyfriend, art, music, living a normal life, and everything else in the world.

This little box was one of the things that I'd always taken for granted. This little box and everything inside of it. I'd always thought that it'd be something I could, and would, use.

Something I would always smile at.

One of the first things I'd see in the morning and one of the last things I'd see at night.

Honestly, I have no idea how I could have forgotten about it. It used to be such a big part of my life after all.

Maybe losing everything does that to you. Makes you forget about the important things in your past. The little things that were once so common to see but now so rare, or even impossible, to see.

Maybe suddenly your old life's memories have a block around them because it's so painful to think about.

This little box.

This stupid little box.

My stupid little box.

My stupid little box of hope.

My stupid little box of dreams.

My stupid little box of me.

Everything inside of it is just like how it was the last time I opened it.

Only the most important things of my life ever made it into that box.

And slowly I pull out my past one by one.

Emerald earrings.

_A small box with a little note taped to it._

'_Merry Christmas Sakura._

_I know you're mad at me, but please don't throw this out._

_Please, at the least open it._

_-Sasuke_

_P.S. I'm sorry.'_

A diamond necklace.

"_What's this for?"_

"_You're turning thirteen today!"_

"_And?"_

"_And that means you're a woman now. You should get something special."_

"_Oh!"_

"_Happy birthday sweetheart."_

A promise ring.

"_I know we're young Sak, but I love you."_

"_Sasuke?"_

"_And I know how horrible your life is now, with your parents' death."_

_A tear escapes._

"_So, please accept this promise ring? When we're older we'll get married."_

_More tears._

"_And we'll live happily ever after."_

We both were so naïve. Believing in fairy tales.

After all, fairy tales aren't real.

Happily ever afters don't exist.

Magic is a myth.

Princes don't come riding in on white horses to save fair maidens.

Fairy godmothers don't come and save you in the nick of time.

The next thing is a worn red ribbon.

"_Here Sakura, use this to hold your hair back."_

"_But…my forehead…"_

"_Isn't that big. They just want someone to tease."_

"_Bu-"_

"_Trust me. I'm your friend right? I won't lie to you."_

"_Promise my forehead isn't that big?"_

"_I promise! Here let me fix your hair!"_

"_Thank you Ino."_

Two matching dragon clips.

"_Here Sakura."_

"_TenTen? What's this for?"_

"_It's a good luck thing."_

"_Okay, but why are you giving it to me."_

"_Because! Neji asked me out. You had something to do with it didn't you?"_

"_Maybe. But I don't want to take your clips!"_

"_Too bad. I'm not taking them back! Bye Sak!"_

Another necklace.

This one in the shape of a teardrop.

"_Hinata?"_

"_Happy birthday Sakura!"_

_A soft smile._

"_Thank you."_

"_You're welcome."_

"_Why did you get a necklace in the shape of a teardrop?"_

"_Why? Do you not like it or something?"_

"_No, I love it!"_

"_Oh! Good! It's because you love the rain. I always see you staring at it."_

A broken chess piece.

"_I beat you Shika!"_

"_Congratulations Sakura."_

_A slow lazy smile._

"_Now stop dancing around troublesome woman."_

"_No!"_

_A crash._

"_Oops."_

"_Nice Sakura. Look at what you did."_

"_Shut up! It's your fault. You should have told me to stop dancing!"_

"_Troublesome…"_

A lock of brown hair tied in a brown ribbon.

"_We did it! Get the camera ready Tenny!"_

"_Haruno! Uchiha!"_

_Giggles and a low chuckle._

_Neji rounding the corner._

_Five inches of his hair successfully cut off._

"_Smile Hyuuga."_

"_TenTen!"_

_More laughter._

A ramen bowl plushy.

No bigger than the palm of my hand.

"_Here Sakura. I want you to have this."_

"_Naruto what is it?"_

"_A ramen bowl plushy!"_

"_Why are you giving it to me?"_

"_Because this means we will be best friends forever."_

"_Did your mom drop you on the head when you were little or something?"_

"_My dad did, why?"_

"_Cuz you have to pinky promise to be best friends forever!"_

"_Oh…we can do that too! Keep the plushy anyway."_

_A shrug._

_Pinkies intertwining._

A photo.

Of all of us.

"_I want to commemorate this day!"_

"_Why Yamanaka?"_

"_Because Uchiha, we're all finally out of middle school."_

"_So?"_

"_So when we're all old and wrinkly, we need to keep this to see how beautiful we used to be."_

"_That makes no sense Pig."_

"_Shut up Forehead, it makes perfect sense."_

"_Whatever helps you sleep at night Pig."_

"_Shika! Forehead is being mean to me!"_

"_Sasuke! Piggy's being irritating."_

"_Troublesome."_

"_Annoying."_

"_Can we just get this picture over with? I want ramen."_

"_I a-agree with Naruto."_

"_I hope you mean the hurrying part, not the ramen."_

"_I agree with TenTen, ramen is not healthy Hinata."_

"_What are you talking about Hyuuga! Hinata's a smart girl. Ramen is awesome!"_

"_Great! You see what you've done Pig? Now there's a fight."_

"_Wanna go Forehead?"_

"_Bring it Piggy!"_

And the last thing is a list.

A worn out piece of paper with hundreds of folds and creases.

My three wishes.

I don't know if I want to unfold this.

So I procrastinate.

I close the curtains on my windows, turn on the lights, shove the boxes back in their original places, ready to deal with them another day.

And then I move everything to the bed.

Slowly I reach for the paper.

"_Mommy! These are my princess wishes!"_

_A flashing smile._

_A tender smile._

"_Really? Can I see?"_

"_If you see them will they still come true?"_

"_Of course! The princess' mommy saw hers didn't she?"_

"_Okay."_

I grab it and start to unfold it.

"_This is the path to your fairy tale ending."_

Only to be called downstairs for dinner with it laying half folded on my bed.

* * *

_I'm mean aren't I?_

_The next chapter holds her wishes. Are you ready for it?_

_Well this is another chapter and it's not even Monday!_

_I think I'll be able to get another (maybe two?) chapter(s) out before Thanksgiving break is over!_

_And before I forget, this is a Sasusaku fic for a reason!_

_There may be some Kibasaku, but it's not gonna stay! And they're only gonna be good friends._

_I have something special planned out for Kiba._

_Don't forget to review._

_Cuz I can be mean. I will withhold chapters!_

_MUAHAHAHAHAHA. WORLD DOMINATION!_


	10. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale

* * *

**

"So Sakura, what were you doing upstairs?" Tsunade asks me as we're washing dishes in the kitchen after dinner. "There was a lot of shuffling and some banging as well."

"Nothing much. Just cleaning some stuff up." More like I was washing and she was drying.

"Oh? What kind of stuff?"

"Just old stuff…"

Her face clouds with worry.

"Sakura-" she begins but the door bell rings.

I've just been saved by the bell. Literally.

"I've got it!" I say, finishing the last dish and rushing out to answer the door. Behind me Tsunade makes a frustrated noise and I know she's probably going to castrate whoever's interrupted us. I, on the other hand, am fully prepared to give that person a life time's supply of chocolate.

"Hey, Saks." Kiba says leaning all over the door, acting like he owns it.

"Hey, Kiba." I say, and my eyes go wide because I've just noticed the hugest dog I've ever seen standing right next to him. All I can do is point with my mouth gaping open.

He grins.

"This is Akamaru. Akamaru say hi to Sakura!"

He arfs and walks over to me. He's not as big as I thought he was. He's up to my knee, but that's a lot smaller than I first thought he was. He's cute and I can't help but fall in love with him.

I guess there is such a thing as love at first sight.

"Hi Akamaru!" I coo, and start scratching him behind his ears. He drools and licks my face.

"I think he likes you."

"I think I like him too."

Tsunade walks towards the door. Frowns. Then walks away, saying, "I really don't want to know. But Kiba you're going to pay for interrupting the conversation I was trying to have with Sakura."

"Um…Okay? But as a consolation for the future pain you are going to cause me, can I take Sakura to the park with me and Akamaru?"

"Fine." Tsunade yells from the stairs, "But I want her back by ten. You both have to go to school tomorrow."

"Sweet! Thanks!"

"Don't get to comfortable Kiba, because if she's home anytime before or after ten. I'm going to call your father. Have fun you two!" She comes back and all but shoves us out the door.

"I think I should have had a say in that."

"Well too bad."

I stick my tongue out at him.

"Was she serious about calling my dad?"

"Yeah."

I start banging on the door.

"Why are you banging on the door?"

"I need my keys and phone."

A second later Tsunade opens the second floor window and chucks my keys and phone at me.

"Go away!" She yells and slams the window shut.

Kiba just watches amused.

"Not a word of this, alright?"

"Sure, Saks, whatever you say."

I glare at him.

"Let's just go."

So we head silently to the park, side by side. I can't help but notice that it's all gray and misty outside. Like it's going to rain again soon. It's been raining all week.

We turn and reach a familiar path. I've taken this path so many times. It's the same path that I took when my parents were alive.

"_Park, park, park! Sakura lighten up, we're going to the park!"_

"_Naruto I am…lightened! It's the park! There's a slide and swings! Sasuke's the one who needs to lighten up."_

"_Naruto don't even start with me."_

When we reach the entrance to the park, I can't help but flinch. It reminds me of the conversation I'd had with Sasuke a little while ago.

"So Sakura, tell me something about yourself?" Kiba asks out of the blue.

Akamaru had long since left us, opting to roll around in the wet grass.

"What do you mean?"

"Well all I know about you are rumors. I don't know much that's true."

I consider this for a moment. He's right. He doesn't really know much about me.

"So what do you want to know?"

"Your likes, dislikes, dreams for the future."

His eyes crinkle when he smiles. I didn't notice that before.

"You're starting to sound like Kakashi."

"Shh! Don't tell anyone but I'm Kakashi in disguise. I'm incognito."

I smirk. "Don't worry about me. How about we have a deal? I'll tell you about me, if you tell me about you because you still know more about me than I do about you."

"Alright, but one condition. No deep stuff. Deal?"

"Deal."

"So Sakura, why don't you start?"

"Okay…so dreams for the future…I'm not really sure. I used to want to be a doctor, but I kind of don't want to anymore."

"Why not?"

"Deep stuff."

"…Ok, this is an exception. There's always an exception to every rule."

"Fine. It reminds me of my mom. She was a doctor."

"They you should stay with that Saks. Some day you'll thank me for telling you this, because no matter how much it'll hurt in the beginning, it'll be worth it in the end. You'll end up feeling closer to your mom."

"How do you know?"

"Cuz mine was a groomer. A dog groomer. She loved animals, and even though it hurt at first, I'm doing it on the weekends. Grooming dogs, I mean. And I have Akamaru. It helps me remember my mom. What she was like."

I smile at him. I'm still not sure, but maybe I will become a doctor. I'm definitely considering it again. I don't tell him this but I've been considering it since I met him.

"Okay. Dislikes. You're turn to start Kiba."

He scrunched his nose. "Cats."

"Cats?"

"Cats."

I snigger. "I think maybe you're just afraid of them."

"Saks! Have you seen those things? They are evil."

"Sure. That's why they're so fluffy."

"Exactly! It hides their true intentions."

"…Okay…"

"Well fine then, Miss Smarty Pants. Why don't you use that big brain of yours and tell us all what you dislike."

"_Sakura you're so smart. Just like that stupid boyfriend of yours. Well actually…he's more of a know it all…But that's not the point."_

"_What is the point Naruto?"_

"_Um…I forget, but it involved me sweet-talking you into getting Sasuke to buy me ramen."_

"_Idiot."_

"I dislike a lot of things."

"Like?"

"…Blood. I dislike a lot of blood. And I dislike darkness."

"Sweet! Okay, likes? I wanna go first for this one!" I give him a look. Not only did he just move on from what I said in two seconds flat. But he managed to change the subject and irritate me all at once…

Kind of like what Naruto used to do…

"You went first last time!"

"_You went first last time, Naruto."_

"_Too bad!"_

_His tongue sticks out._

"Too bad!" He sticks his tongue out at me. "What was I saying again?"

"Likes?"

"Oh, yeah! Dogs. I really like dogs. Like Akamaru. Only I love him. Okay, your turn!"

"That's it?"

"Yup. Well there's more but you know…Deep stuff."

"Liar."

"I know. Your turn. Go!"

"Okay. I like the rain."

"The rain? Why?"

"I didn't question why you liked dogs!"

"Well, yeah, but my love for dogs is pretty obvious."

"Because no one knows that you're crying."

He's quiet for a moment and he leads us to the swings. We both plop down.

"People say I'm like the rain."

He looks at me. He's confused.

"I'm all washed out and I do that too. Wash things out. Like, you know, them…"

He rocks a little bit, back and forth, but I start to actually swing.

"I've got another dislike." He says.

"What is it?"

"When people are sad. Got another dislike?"

"Fairy tales."

"Why?"

"Because they're nothing but lies. False hopes and false promises of happy endings."

"And you don't believe in happy endings, Sakura?"

"I stopped believing in happy endings a long time ago."

"What about fairy tales?"

"Them too. I stopped falling for them a long time ago."

He's quiet again. But then he whistles. A long piercing sound.

"Come on. We've been out here for three hours, and I only have twenty minutes to get you home."

Akamaru arrives just then, and I realize the whistle was a signal for him to come to Kiba.

"Let's go."

We walk home slowly, and when we reach the porch, we've still got five minutes left."

"Sakura, you're just like the rain."

"Wh-"

"Here me out. You're just like the rain because after the rain comes and washes everything out, it begins everything anew. It gives everything a fresh start. It washes away all the grime and dust that make up bad thoughts and replaces those thoughts with the homey feeling of something good happening."

"Kiba…"

"You should go in now Saks. It's ten and I would really appreciate it if Tsunade didn't call my Dad."

"Bye Kiba." I whisper and head in.

"Right on time. Damn. I was really hoping he'd be at least a minute late. Or early."

"Good night." I call and head right up the stairs. Being with Kiba had made me forget about what I'd been doing before dinner. Now that I was in the house it came back to me with a sense of urgency.

On my bed, in my room, right where I'd left it was the half folded piece of crumpled up paper.

"_I made it when I was little. It's very special to me."_

I grabbed it, suddenly not wanting to wait anymore.

"_Like ripping off a band aid."_

I just wanted to get it over with.

_**Sakura's Princess Wishes**_

_**Please do not read my princess wishes unless I say you can.**_

_**Princess wish number one:**_

_**I wish for my whole family to love each other and be happy forever.**_

_**Princess wish number two:**_

_**I wish for my friends and me to always be friends forever.**_

_**Princess wish number three:**_

_**I wish for nothing too bad to happen.**_

_**Thank you princess wish granter for at least listening to my wishes.**_

_**-Sakura Haruno**_

The words begin to smudge and I wonder why.

I wonder why my face is all wet.

And then I realize that I'm crying.

"_These are good princess wishes Sakura!"_

I cover my mouth to muffle the sobs.

* * *

_I was mean I withheld this chapter!_

_You have no idea how many times I was called mean or jerk in my reviews for my threat. It warms my heart to know you all care._

_But I didn't really withhold this chapter. I just sorta forgot about my history project and so I was doing that…In fact I'm going to finish that up right after I post this chapter._

_So thanks to all of my loyal reader (who no matter how angry they are at me) review._

_REVIEW CUZ MY THREAT IS STILL IN PLACE!_


	11. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale

* * *

**

I wake up to my alarm clock ringing in my ear. Confused and disoriented I force my eyes to open and get up and look around. I fell asleep. I snatch the clock up quickly and look at the time, only to shut it off and sigh in relief. I'm not late.

Looking down I see the jewelry box with the harmless looking piece of paper on it. I want to rip it up. I want to burn it, but I know I won't. I know I can't.

"Sakura are you awake yet?" Tsunade calls from the depths of the house. Probably the kitchen.

"Yeah! I'll be down soon."

"Okay! I'm making toast for breakfast."

"Try not to burn it!" I call back and begin my morning routine, heading out the bedroom door just in time to hear Tsunade muttering how I'm so mean to her so early in the morning.

I smirk, "I can hear you." I call out in sing-song. Despite reading the wishes last night, everything seems better. Like the whole world is smiling. Everything seems new, like the past has washed away.

Sometimes it's nice to pretend.

I walk downstairs an hour later only to discover burned toast. "I thought I told you not to burn it."

"No." Tsunade says through a mouth full of toast. I eye her plate suspiciously. Her toast isn't burned. "You said to try not to burn it. I just gave you the burned bread." She smirks victoriously.

"You are a horrible person. I may have to break your alcohol bottles."

"You wouldn't." Her eyes widen.

I smirk, "I've done it before."

_Glass shatters everywhere._

"_Sakura, what the hell are you doing?"_

"_This stuff will kill you!"_

"_Sakura! Don't touch those. Put them down right now."_

_More glass scatters across the floor._

"_No!"_

"_Sakura!"_

_Another bottle breaks._

"_Sakura Haruno. You will stop this at once."_

_A crate overturns._

"_Fine."_

"My, my, someone's in a good mood today. That Kiba boy seems nice. I approve of him."

I blush. "What are you talking about?"

"Well aren't you gonna marry him?"

I sit down and start munching on my toast, "Um, no. We're not even going out."

"Well maybe you should be. I think he likes you."

"Ugh!" I groan. "This toast is horrible."

"Then stop eating it. Now, you and I never finished our little talk."

Shit. "What talk?" I'm so innocent.

"Don't play innocent with me." She turns serious, and I know she's not going to let this go. All I can hope for is another Kiba-intervention, but I know it's a long shot. "You and I both know you weren't just cleaning things up. Now what were you doing?"

"I was rooting through some old things…"

"Why Sakura?"

"I was looking for something."

"What?"

"Myself."

She looks confused.

"I've been dead since the incident haven't I?"

"Sakura..." She looks into my face. I can tell she's trying to determine what's brought this up. Why I'm suddenly asking her these questions. It seems like she's found whatever it was that she was looking for. "Yes," she says it with a huge sigh, "You've been…gone for the past few years."

"I miss being me. I miss being happy. And you know what I miss most of all? It's not my parents or my friends, or even my boyfriend. I miss living, enjoying everything."

Tears start cascading down my cheeks.

"Oh, Sakura." Tsunade starts crying as well.

"And you know what the saddest thing of all is? I don't know how to be the old me anymore. I don't remember what it's like to live. To enjoy living."

"That's okay Sakura." She comes around the table and hugs me. "That's the great thing about life. You can always learn how to enjoy it. Even if you've forgotten."

"I want to repaint my room. Is that okay?"

"Sure." She wipes the tears from her eyes. "We'll go shopping after school. We're going to buy you a whole new room."

I smile. "I'd like that. Thank you."

"For the new room? That's nothing. I've been waiting for you to ask me." She smiles, but the smile turns into a frown when I shake my head.

"No not for the new room, thank you for putting up with me."

"'Course, sweetie. I love you. Now come on. We've got to get to school. Unlike Kakashi, I can't get away with being late."

"That doesn't stop you from trying, now does it?"

"Nope. But Shizune will kill me if I'm late and I quite prefer living."

She laughs and I laugh along with her.

"We can't have that now can we?"

"Nope." She grabs her car keys. "You wouldn't mind walking home, would you? I have something to do after school and when I get home, we can go shopping."

"Okay. What do you have to do?"

"Some stupid errands Shizune claims are good for the school."

I hide my smile as I get into the passenger seat.

"Well that's just too bad."

"Stop being sarcastic. You don't know my pain."

"Which is exactly why I enjoy it." We head towards the school's parking lot.

"You were so much nicer to me when you were all grumpy."

"Grumpy?"

"You heard me!"

I laugh and slam the door shut behind me. I wave at Tsunade and run to my locker, where Kiba's waiting.

"Hey!" I chirp, with a wave, before putting in my combo.

"Hey." He replies watching me, with his hands in his pockets. "The jerk wad squad is gone; they were here for a full half hour, probably waiting for you."

"Jerk wad squad?"

"Yeah it's what I named them."

"So…what were you doing here for half an hour?"

"What are you talking about?" He looks at me like I just told him that Akamaru could talk. Fascinated, shocked, and a bit horrified.

"Well you wouldn't know they'd been here for half an hour if you weren't here as well."

Kiba starts sputtering, and it's really amusing. "I wasn't here for half an hour, if you must know." He's finally able to spit out. "I was here for an hour before you got here. And I was here waiting for you."

I yank my books out and shove them into my bag.

"Aww! You're so sweet!" I smile and then lean forward, go on my tippy toes and pinch his cheeks. "And your cheeks are so pinchable."

"Sakura-stop-what are you doi-stop! The pain!"

"_Neh, Sakura, don't even think of coming near me with that look on your face. Sakura-what are you-no! Back away! Back away!"_

"_Come here Naruto."_

"_WAH!"_

_A few minutes later, Naruto is rolling around in the grass clutching his cheeks. _

"_My precious face!"_

I laugh hard, when I finally let go. He's holding his cheeks and backing into a corner. "You horrible monster!"

"_You're horrible Sakura. A monster. Did you really think that you'd get away with what you did to us? We're going to come back and get revenge."_

"_Please, no! It was a mistake! I didn't mean to tell anyone. I was on all kinds of drugs. Please!"_

"_That's no excuse, Sakura…"_

_They start walking away._

"_Please. Don't leave…don't leave me." _

_But they can't here. They're too far gone._

I sober up quickly. The memory's like a bucket of cold water and it's left me dripping from head to toe in misery.

"I have to go Kiba."

"Saks? What's wrong? Did I say something? I didn't mean it. You can pinch my cheeks all you like."

"…_it's too late."_

"No. I think we should get to class. Come on."

* * *

_Sorry for not updating in a long time. Forgive me?_

_I've been having writers block, projects, and finals. _

_Actually I should be studying for finals right now but I felt really bad and couldn't concentrate. Now that I've finished this chapter, hopefully I can study and pass._

_You should all thank Cream Tigress, an anonymous reviewer of mine, who helped me remember the reason I started writing this fic. That reason, plus a threat to force me to watch Dora is the reason I've finished with this chapter. _

_Review?_


	12. Chapter 11

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

Classes are a blur. In fact, the whole day is a blur and soon it's almost time for Tsunade to take me out shopping. Surprisingly, I can't wait.

I've never been much of a shopper, not even before the incident. I'd always kind of avoided it, although Ino, Hinata, and Tenten would always force me to go shopping with them.

"_But I don't wanna!"_

"_Too bad."_

_Stupid Ino._

"_Deal with it Haruno."_

_Damn you Tenten!_

"_You're going to shop and you're going to like it!"_

_Why Hinata! When did you go over to the dark side?_

Tsunade's shouting shifts me out of my revere, "Sakura get out here!"

"Coming!" I shout back and grab my purse off the table. I'm really excited. When I get outside I see this silver prius sitting in the driveway with Tsunade leaning all over it.

"Whoa, you got a new car?"

"No." She smirks, "You've got a new car."

I'm about to die right there.

"I know it's nothing flashy but I figured that you could use one. You are in your senior year of high school now, and I've got to go in early and stay late and I don't want you staying that long in school, so I thought why the hell not."

"I love you!" I'm not one for squealing but who wouldn't squeal if they were in my position?

"Liar! Now, get in this baby and let's go shop for your new bedroom."

She tosses me the keys and we get in.

"You know," I say, starting up the car and backing out the driveway, "I just want to paint it a new color."

"Yeah? Well too bad. I'm going to get you new sheets, curtains, and hell I'm even going to get you more clothes."

"Are you trying to spoil me or something?" I ask her, laughing so hard I nearly swerve off the lane. It's been a while since I've driven a car. Tsunade grabs the dash. "Whoops."

"No. I'm just not sure when I'll be able to drag you out to the mall again. I swear, it's like your worst enemy."

"That's not true! Old people with canes are my worst enemy."

"Please don't tell me you're still stuck on that whole Wantanabi issue."

"That little-"

"Sakura, language."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to swear. I know you Sakura so don't even try to get out of it."

"Alright fine, that little witch set her grandmother on me just because she doesn't like me."

"Sakura-"

"Don't 'Sakura' me; it was totally and completely true. That old woman got peanut butter stuck in my hair and she ate all the jam. I mean really, had I known she was Ami's grandmother in the first place I would have kept on walking, but no, I had to be all nice and let her in and have her almost KILL ME."

"I think you're over reacting. It happened last year; it's all in the past."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what parental figures always say."

"Speaking of parental figures…"

"Oh no! Don't tell me! I don't want to hear this!"

"Come on Sakura, listen to me."

"Pretend I'm covering my ears. I can't do it since I'm driving. This is why you bought me the car isn't it? You wanted to make sure you could rant without me blocking you out. You horrid woman!"

"Well…partly. But anyway, Jiraiya's awesome. You love to hate him."

"Yeah but he's also an old pervert. And I think the key word in that sentence is 'hate'."

"Sakura-"

"He's been gone a really long time, hasn't he?"

"Almost a year…"

"Is he still writing porn?"

I get a snort.

"I'm taking that as a yes."

"Well it's impossible to change that man."

"Are you two…okay? I mean, did you work everything out or are you still planning on getting a divorce?" I bite my lip not really sure I want to hear this.

"_Seriously Tsunade, why are you getting all worked up about this?"_

"_Because! I don't like you looking at other naked women."_

"_What does it matter? I only love you."_

"_Yeah? Well that's pretty hard to believe considering you never show it."_

"_You know every other girl would reject me."_

"_So you're only settling for me because you couldn't get the real prize."_

"_Tsunade-"_

"_Don't 'Tsunade' me."_

"_Well what do you want me to do?"_

"_I don't know, write something normal for once?"_

"_Well I can't do that! I'm good at this alright? I don't want to give it up. Besides, this never bothered you before."_

"_That's because before you'd have time for me as well, now all you're doing is focusing on your dirty writing."_

"_Well I'm sorry."_

"_No, no you're not."_

"_Well what do you want me to do?"_

"_I…I don't know."_

"_Look-"_

"_I want a divorce."_

"_What?"_

"_I want a divorce."_

"_Tsunade, we can work this out. Let's try at least."_

"_I need a break Jiraiya. We need a break."_

"_Alright. One year, we'll both live one year without each other. I'll travel and write and you stay here and rule your school. At the end of that year when we meet again, if you still want a divorce I'll sign the papers. But remember this Tsunade. I love you. I always have, I always will. Nothing can change that fact." _

"I don't think I want a divorce anymore. If he does…well it's been a year and I did say that I wanted one. If he's got another woman that he loves, I'll let him go. But this last year has been hard. I miss him. I realized that I love him, I really do."

"Aw, don't go all school-girl on me." I need to lighten the mood or I'll start crying. "Any-who, we're here, let's get our shop on."

Tsunade starts laughing so hard that she turns a nice shade of blue.

"I think you're supposed to breathe." I point out, which only causes her hysterics to get worse.

"I never thought I'd hear you say 'let's get our shop on.' I must be dreaming."

"Or you're delusional or I really did say it. Now which would you rather pick?"

"Come on Sakura."

She never does pick, but four hours later we're heading back home with a nice emerald color that matches my eyes and a bright pink color that matches my hair. We're going to spend the weekend painting my room emerald green and accenting it with cotton candy pink.

I plop onto bed and, although I plan on closing my eyes for just a minute, I fall asleep.

_My cell phone is ringing and that surprises me. No one calls me, except for my parents but this isn't their ring tone._

"_Who is it?" Sasuke asks me._

"_I have no idea…Hello?"_

"_Is this Sakura Haruno speaking?"_

"_Yes, who's this?"_

"_Well I don't think you know me, but I'm here with your parents. They've been in a bad car accident. They say that they're around the corner from a man named Sasuke's house. They want you over here."_

_My palms are all sweaty and I can feel my eyes get large. I don't believe this. I can't believe this._

"_Miss Haruno?"_

"_Tell them that I'm on my way."_

"_Sakura?" It's Sasuke. "Sakura what's wrong?" I'd forgotten about him._

"_My parents." I whisper and run out of the room. _

_It only takes me two minutes to get into the site of the crash and I the first thing that I notice is all of the blood. It's everywhere. Then I notice my parents._

"_My God." It's all I can get out. "Mommy? Daddy?"_

_I head over to where they are laid on the stretcher._

"_Hi sweetheart." My mom replies._

_My mom, who's covered in blood. So much blood._

"_I thought you were staying home tonight?"_

"_We were." My dad replies._

_He's no better than my mom._

_I can feel the tears prickling in the back of my eyes._

"_Then why?"_

"_You're an hour late sweetheart, we got worried so we came looking for you. You never called and your father and I were so worried."_

_My hand goes to my mouth._

"_This is my fault. Oh, God, Mommy, Daddy, I'm so sorry."_

"_Don't be. It was our choice to come looking for you. We didn't trust you enough to know that you were safe. We didn't rely on the fact that you'd just lost track of time. You do that so often, that it was a pretty obvious choice."_

"_You're mother's right Sakura."_

"_But-"_

"_Relax, baby, we'll get out of the hospital in no time and then we'll punish you." My dad chuckles but he starts coughing._

_Coughing up blood._

"_Remember, we're always going to be there for you."_

"_Always, even if it seems like we're not there, we are."_

"_You say that like you're leaving for good."_

"_Remember, we're in your heart, with you where ever you go."_

"_Take care, sweet heart."_

"_And Sasuke, if you ever hurt my baby, I'll personally come at you with a base ball bat and a nice big shot gun."_

_I turn around; I hadn't even noticed Sasuke had shown up._

_He puts his hand on my shoulder._

"_Not to worry Mr. Haruno. I'd never hurt her. I love her."_

"_I know. Which is why I don't have either a bat or a gun."_

"_Bye sweet heart. I love you."_

_Mommy's gone._

"_Mommy? No! Momma! Mom! Please, please come back."_

_I haven't shed one tear._

"_I think I'm going to go join her. You know how I'm never truly happy without her around."_

"_Daddy? Please. Please! Not you too! Please! Please?"_

"_I'm sorry baby; I don't think I have much of a choice. Love you forever, okay. Don't you forget it my little button nosed cherub. Bye baby."_

_Daddy's gone too._

_I still haven't shed one tear. _

_Although I feel like I'm going to explode inside from all the built up pressure._

"_I love you. Both of you. Forever and ever…and ever."_

"_Sakura are you okay?"_

_I turn to face him, and I look him in the eye._

"_They're gone."_

"_I know Sak, I know. I'm sorry."_

_I look over at their bodies._

"_I am too."_

"_You've always got me."_

"_I know."_

_I look up at the starry night sky._

_They're up there now._

_My parents are up there._

_And suddenly I start crying. I start crying so hard that I don't make a sound._

_My teardrops fall and mix with the blood on the ground._

"_It's raining." I say, looking at the blood._

"_It's not raining Sakura." Sasuke looks confused._

"_No, it's raining."_

I wake up covered in sweat.

"_You've always got me."_

And I think about all the lies I've faced over the past few years.

* * *

_Wow, that's pretty long considering I'm falling asleep here. I started it a while ago but then I was so busy I didn't have a chance to finish. Anyway, I was crying as I wrote this so I expect tears from all of you too. And I expect reviews. Lots of them considering I told you how her parents died and everything._

_Here you go, the next chapter! And if any of you were wondering, I failed two of my finals but passed all of my classes (my lowest grade was a B!)._

_Once again, you can thank Cream Tigress and her super long review that made me smile and be proud and happy._

_So yeah, I was thinking why is it that I don't own anything? I don't own Naruto, I don't own a car. The only thing I own is my stupid crappy 3-year-old laptop and this fanfic (along with all of my other wonderfully awesome fanfics that you should read cuz they're amazing just like me and this fanfic). Well this is pretty long so I'm going to cut my ranting off so you can get on with your precious lives._

_Just remember to review dammit!_


	13. Chapter 12

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

Tsunade and I sit back and admire the work that we've done to my "new" room. It's nothing like what it used to be, I don't think it ever will be, but it's an improvement.

"Well ladies, I believe you owe me a thank you and some chocolate cake."

Tsunade and I exchange glances.

"Kiba," I begin in a mock-sympathetic tone, "you've been slacking. I'm sorry but even Akamaru over here did more work than you."

"Wha-"

"In fact," Tsunade stood up and dusted herself off, "we're going to give him the chocolate cake that was promised to you."

"Wait!"

"What Sakura?"

"You can't feed Akamaru chocolate! It'll kill him!"

"Oh…err… How 'bout some sake then? Hmm?"

Kiba looks over at me and I'm sure that I'm making a is-she-for-real face.

"You're going to feed Akamaru sake?"

"Um… maybe?"

"Well I'm leaving with my precious dog before SOMEONE murders him in a very cruel way that I will not appreciate and most likely sue for."

"Well no need to get all melodramatic about it." Tsunade huffed and went downstairs; probably to get sake but it could be for anything. "Damn, Sakura where'd you hide my sake?" Or not.

"No where you'll ever find it!" I yelled down the stairs. "Come on Kiba, I'll sneak you out the back door." I whispered to my friend.

As we snuck down the stairs, I thought about the fact that if someone had told me a year ago that I'd be friends with an awesome guy who didn't care about my past and was almost exactly like Naruto, I'd have told them they'd better stop snorting things.

"Hey, Sak, shouldn't you be worried about the old hag?"

"INUZUKA! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU CALLED ME A HAG!"

We're both in the kitchen and our eyes widen as we shoot each other looks.

"I'm scared."

"Me too."

"What do we do?" Kiba looks like he'll panic any second now.

Tsunade walks in with a wild look in her eye and she's armed. With a broom. This means she's serious, if she wasn't she would have brought the mop.

"Oh jeez, Sak, I'm too young to die. What the hell do we do?"

"Run!" I slam open the back door and Kiba sprints with Akamaru close behind him. "I'll see you on Monday Sak! I don't think I should be coming back here anytime soon." Kiba yells over his shoulder as he crosses the street towards his house.

I block the door from Tsunade. "No." I close the door and lock it for good measure.

"But he called me an old hag!" She's whining.

"I will not let you kill Kiba. Now put the broom down."

"Fine." She practically hisses the word out and stomps back downstairs to look for the sake.

I sigh and lean against the door. The whole encounter was way too familiar. How many times had I seen something like this happen before? How many times had I seen Naruto being chased out?

I close my eyes and let the memories overwhelm me. I let myself be surrounded by happy memories.

"_Hey Sakura. Is the old lady home?"_

"_UZUMAKI! DID YOU JUST CALL ME OLD?"_

_Oh no, there was steam coming out of her ears. And she was holding a broom. Crap._

"_Er…no?"_

"_Liar!"_

"_Hey, that's usually my line!"_

"_Naruto, if I were you… I'd run. Now. Fast."_

"_Got it. See you later Sak! Bye old lady!"_

"_UZUMAKI!"_

_I bar the door, giving Naruto a five minute head start before Tsunade breaks free and runs after him, wearing only a bathrobe. I sigh. The neighbors were so going to sue for abuse. Their poor eyes._

I'm knocked out of my reverie when the door bell rings. Heaving myself up off of the floor, I head over to the door. The door bell hasn't stopped ringing since it began.

I yank the door open, and without even bothering to look at who it is, I start yelling, "You moron! You're supposed to let go of the door bell after you ring once!" I puff my cheeks out and finally look at who's standing on my door step. My cheeks blow out in a second.

"Sorry, Sak… I guess I never learn, huh?" Standing there, Naruto Uzumaki rubs the back of his head while his girlfriend, Hinata Hyuga looks sheepish, her hands behind her back, her face towards the ground with a blush spotting her cheeks. I stand there dumbfounded, my hair tied up in a messy ponytail with overalls splattered with paint. My mouth, probably gaping open.

"Hello Sakura."

"Um…" It's the only thing I can get out. Never in a million years did I see this coming. "Err…."

"So Sak can we come in?" Naruto's giving me these puppy dog eyes and Hinata's looking as shy as ever and for a few moments there, it feels like we're all fourteen again, for a few moments it's like they never left. Unconsciously, I open the door wider, as if it's a reflex that I never grew out of and let the two of them in.

It seemed as if they were getting a blast from the past as well because they headed towards the living room without my directions.

"Why?" The voice is mine, but I didn't realize that I'd used it.

"Huh?" Naruto and Hinata turn around. Both look confused. "What do you mean Sak?"

"Why are you here?" I resist the urge to scream and try to talk as calmly as I can, but seeing them, seeing them brings back unneeded pain.

"_Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Sakura! Happy birthday to you!"_

"_Naruto! You didn't have to do this."_

"_I wanted to, what with everyone being gone and only you, me, and Hinata here, it's the least I could do."_

"_Moron. When did you get so nice?"_

_I'm crying._

"_Sak, I've always been nice. You just never notice."_

_Hinata's laughing in the background._

"_Come on you two, let's eat the ramen before it gets cold!"_

"_Hinata, you are completely correct."_

"Sakura…" Hinata's voice is quiet and it's the first time she's spoken since both she and Naruto showed up on my doorstep, but I ignore her and focus on Naruto.

"_It's so pretty outside, can we go to the park Sakura?"_

"_Sure Hinata!"_

_It's only a short trip and soon we're near the swing set._

"_I bet I can swing higher than you."_

"_You're on Sakura!"_

_I smile at Hinata; she's never this free around anyone other than me and Naruto. It makes me proud to be one of her best friends._

"Why are you here? Did he send you? What does he want? A formal apology? A reason why I did what I did? Because I don't think he'll listen. He never listened when I tried to tell him, so you can't be here for that." I'm passing back and forth back and forth back and forth. Nothing makes sense. My hands tug at my hair and I'm shaking but there's nothing I can do. Nothing. "WHAT ARE YOU HERE FOR? HUH? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" I'm yelling now and unless Tsunade's wasted or she's fallen asleep, she'll hear and then she'll come up and see them and see me and she'll kick them out and I'll be better. I'll be better.

"_And all the King's horses and all the King's men couldn't put Humpty Dumpty together again."_

"Sakura, calm down, calm down, sweet heart."

"Yeah Sak, it's all good. Sasuke-" I flinch at the name that once warmed my heart, "doesn't even know we're here."

"Why are you here?"

"We want to apologize to you, Sakura." Naruto looks so sincere, and I want to believe him but, it's hard and I don't think I can.

"Why wo-"

"Please, Sakura, will you at least here us out?" Hinata's eyes plead with me.

"You have five minutes to tell me. Starting… Now."

"Okay," Naruto begins talking, "three years ago, when the…incident happened, not all of us were mad at you. We understood that you weren't in control of yourself, but Sasuke, he didn't, and he couldn't. He was really hurt you know? He really loved and he couldn't believe that you'd said all of that. After, he forced us all to go, go away. He couldn't face you and he's held everything in for a long time Sakura, I don't think he's ready to let go of his anger yet, but he's coming pretty close. He misses you Sakura, it's why we came back here."

"You still haven't answered why you two are here."

This time Hinata answers, "Although everyone else has yet to completely forgive you, Naruto and I, we can't make the same mistake we did three years ago. We can't let you go again. This time we're here to fight for you. We believed in you then Sakura, we believe in you know. We're sorry, really, really sorry. Please, can you forgive us?"

"Time." I whisper, and then look at them. They seem so sincere, will I forgive them now? I've missed them, I know that much and looking at them, I want to forgive them. I want to, so very badly. "After three years, you have the nerve to come back here and ask me to forgive you when you knew it wasn't my fault."

"We all make mistakes Sakura."

"Oh, I know. After all, I'm at the top of that list. But relax, Hinata. I'm not accusing you of anything." My eyes narrow as I look at them. As I inspect them I notice how serious they are.

"Really Sakura. We are sorry."

"Seriously, Sak, how do you want us to prove it?"

I smile at them. "Running naked through our neighbor's yard would be nice… but, call me crazy, but I forgive you. Both of you."

"Seriously?" Naruto looks dumbfounded.

"Yeah. I know you two, even if we haven't seen each other in a long time. If you were lying or had any other reasoning, Naruto your eye would twitch, and Hinata you'd either turn cherry red or stutter like mad.

They get up and hug me and suddenly we're crying and it feels like they never left. It feels like the past few years never happen, but they did and there are still others that haven't forgiven me yet.

I'm just glad that Naruto and Hinata have forgiven me.

"_Group hug!"_

"_Naruto, I think we're a little too old for that."_

"_We're never too old for a group hug!"_

"Group hug?"

"Of course."

And we meet in the middle.

"_One step at a time."_

Things seem to be getting better.

"Um… What are you guys gonna tell him? About being my friends I mean?"

"Simple, we're gonna march up to him and tell him that we're your friends again whether he likes it or not." Naruto's shouting with this weird pose. He's wearing too much orange. Like always, I suppose.

"He's probably going to stop talking to us though…" Hinata's speaking calmly, very considerate of her. My eardrums have decided to like her again.

"Come on Hinata! Let's go give him a piece of our mind!" He stands up and all but drags Hinata to the door, opening it; he basically leaps out, onto the porch.

I follow at a much slower, normal, pace. I snort at his stupid proclamation, "You don't have a piece to give Naruto."

"Hey!" He starts dragging Hinata away. "You'll see Sakura; pretty soon everyone will be begging you to forgive them."

"Bye Sakura!" Hinata shouts and in a matter of seconds they're two specs in the distance.

I lean against the side of the door.

"But Naruto," I whisper, because I need to say this, even if he's not going to hear it, "I'm the one who should be begging for forgiveness." Sighing, I close the door and head back inside. It's nice out, but I have this feeling that it's going to rain.

Somehow, I'm very in tune with the rain.

I head up to my room and smile softly; it feels like spring in here. It was Kiba's idea to go with a spring-like theme. There's even a cherry blossom tree painted in one corner. Now that I think about it, Kiba never did get his chocolate cake. I laugh to myself because he was really looking forward to it, it might even be the only reason he helped out in the first place.

I sigh and look around. My room really does represent me. Right now it's saying that I'm coming back, reviving myself.

And I like that.

The doorbell's ringing again. I don't think I can handle any more surprises, but I get up and go downstairs.

"Sakura get the door!" Comes out of the basement

"I'm going! But you better be up here in five minutes or I swear I'm going down there and dragging you back up here by your ear."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be right…there."

"You found the sake didn't you?"

"…"

"I knew it." I really should have hid it in a better place, but with the room redecorating, I had to move it from the normal hiding spot. There aren't many decent hiding places in this house. I think it's Kiba, since I can hear a dog barking somewhere outside. I yank open the door and ask with a smile, "Come back for your chocolate cake?"

"I didn't know I had chocolate cake waiting for me. How'd you know I'd be back today? Is Tsunade keeping count or something?"

Jiraiya. I really should look at who's at the door before I start saying things.

"Whoops. Sorry, I thought you were someone else."

"Aw, that hurts, you wound me Sakura. Are you saying you two didn't even expect me to be here any time soon?"

I smile, "Don't let her fool you, but she's been waiting for you all week. Sometimes I catch her staring out the window… She's missed you."

His face gets grave, "I've missed her too."

"Alright, Sakura, I'm up here, see and it's only been," Tsunade looks at her watch, "four minutes and twenty-two seconds." She looks up and drops the bottles of sake in her hands.

They break as soon as they hit the hardwood floor.

"Jiraiya." She whispers his name and her hands come up to cover her mouth.

"I've got to go do homework so I'll let you two catch up." It's a complete and total lie, but it's the only way good drama happens. I give Jiraiya a hug and run up the stairs, to my room and into my closet. I move a pile of clothes and peer down the hole they hide. I smirk, right on time. Now I can hear and see everything.

"Tsunade." He also whispers her name, and drops the bags he's holding in the doorway.

They're just staring at each other, the space between them isn't that much, but it seems like miles. Come on, I'm urging Jiraiya silently, go on, and hug her! It's his lack of affection that got him in this stupid mess in the first place.

"_It's like you don't even love me."_

"_What do you want me to do? Make a statue in your honor?"_

"_No. I want you to appreciate me. Hold me. Kiss me."_

"_I do that!"_

"_No. You USED TO do that. There's a difference."_

As if he's heard me, he goes up to her, it only takes him three seconds and he's holding her.

"God," he breathes out, "I've missed you. So much. And I'm sorry, you were right Tsunade. I love you so much that being away was a daily struggle."

I sniffle. I'm such a romantic.

"I love you," he whispers to her, "but if you still want to get a divorce, I'll do that. Because it'll make you happy."

She's crying and she hits his arm. I knew that there'd be rain today. "You stupid, stupid idiot," she sobs into his chest and clutches him, "I'm never ever letting you go again. Ever. You understand? I love you, and if you ever make me live without you again, I'm going to kill you with me own two hands, got that?"

"Yeah." He leans back and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I got that." And he leans in to kiss her.

I smile and close the vent. Perfect.

Slowly, I head over to the bed and lie down on it. Closing my eyes, I think, things will get better they have to.

"_Life is all about waiting for the good."_

Tomorrow's a new day.

* * *

_This is the fastest I've updated in a while!_

_This is long, okay? It took me a while. I expect reviews. If not, I will start withholding chapters again! _

_And that's a promise, not a threat, because I did this while in pain. And I made it happy. I deserve the reviews!_

_So click the button. Click it!_


	14. Chapter 13

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

"You seriously forgave the two of them?" Kiba's talking through a mouth full of food and I can't help but scrunch my nose up in disgust.

"Kiba, chew first, swallow second, and talk third." I point at the general vicinity of his mouth. "It's disgusting."

He swallows, "Jeez Saks, I know how to eat."

"Then act like it."

He sticks his tongue out at me and I stick mine back out at him.

"Fine, you win. Happy now?"

"Course!"

"So…?"

"So…"

"So, you seriously forgave the two of them?"

I snort, "No. Hell no. You know me enough to know I don't forgive people who torture me endlessly easily."

"So then why?"

"Well…a big part of me wants to believe them, because they used to be good friends, but the small part of me that doesn't believe them keep reminding me that if they'd really been my friends then they wouldn't have left in the first place, you know?" I prop my head up on my hand and scan the cafeteria, they're not here yet.

Earlier Naruto and Hinata had been avoiding both me and Sasuke's group. They'd been in the middle, between the two of us and just kind of floated there in the middle in every class. It made me doubt them a little.

"Yeah, I do, but if you ask me Saks, it seems like Naruto and Hinata, at least from what I can tell, really do want to be friends again. Maybe they make a mistake, everyone does."

"Yeah, I know, I've made a lot of mistakes but I'd never leave my best friend for a stupid mistake. Naruto may not have brains, but Hinata's got enough for the two of them."

"Well," Kiba takes another huge bite, "maybe the Uchiha had something on them."

My eyes narrow as I contemplate what Kiba's just said. So many things aren't making sense, if Sasuke had had something over them, then why were they crawling back to me now? Did he let up?

"What did I tell you about eating?" I sigh, Kiba will never learn.

"Chew, swallow, talk."

"So you don't have short term memory loss then?"

Kiba looks so flustered. "Well… I…" He looks so confused; it's really kind of cute.

My eyes widen, bad Sakura, bad thoughts! Do not go there! Kiba is friend. F-R-I-E-N-D. Friend.

"Sakura? Yoo-hoo? Anybody in there?" Kiba's waving a hand in front of my face trying to get my attention.

"Wha-huh? What just happened?"

"Well we were having a conversation when you went completely bonkers and zoned out on me." Kiba makes the crazy sign with his finger, his eyes wide. I would have blushed if Kiba hadn't made the crazy sign.

"Shut up!" I say, laughing, as I push him. He's laughing so hard that he nearly falls off the table.

We're back to safe, friendly things. That is good. I bite my lip. Maybe.

"_Sasuke! Watch out!"_

_I'm laughing so hard I can barely get the words out; my only consolation is that he's laughing pretty hard too._

"_Aw, but Sak-u-ra! That's no fun."_

"_It's not going to be fun when you shove me off the table and I land on the floor, head first. I bet I'll die and you'll be responsible, then you'll go to jail for life because you killed your best friend because she stole some of your ketchup."_

"_Hey, it's totally justified. I was protecting myself. The word 'stole' is your down fall Haruno."_

"_Shut up Uchiha, you don't know what I've got."_

_He leans in close and my face turns red, thinking about what else those words could mean._

"_No."_

_He breathes it softly into my ear, loud enough for me to make it out over the din in the cafeteria, but not loud enough for the others to hear._

"_But I'd love to find out."_

_I blush scarlet again._

"Can we sit here?" A soft voice asks me, and I look up, totally confused and disoriented.

I look up.

Naruto and Hinata.

Behind them, still at the lunch line, my former best friends and that Karin girl are glaring at the two as if they're traitorous, and when they glance back behind themselves, the six of the others make a cutting motion across their neck.

They're clearly saying, 'You're dead.'

But is it an act?

I plan to find this out.

"Sure!" I reply with the perky attitude that used define me, "We, as you can see, have a whole table to ourselves. Make yourselves at home. Prop your feet up, and I do not mean that literally, Naruto," I give him an evil glare before continuing, "but if you speak with your mouth full. Well you'll be meeting Mr. Floor and Mrs. Shoe."

"Oh, are they new teachers here? Are they nice? I want to meet them! So far I've only met our old teachers, Kakashi, Iruka, Kurani, Asuma, you know, those guys."

Kiba slaps his face into his hand. "Is this guy really that dumb?" He asks me.

I nod, slowly and mouth, 'Even dumber.'

Kiba groans, "Moron."

This earned an indignant, "Hey!" from Naruto.

"She was being sarcastic. If you speak with your mouth open, then she'll kick you off the table and onto the floor."

It takes Naruto a moment but he finally puts two and two together. "Oh…OH! Wow, Sak, you're just as mean as you used to be."

My eyes narrow, but Naruto, being the buffoon he is, doesn't realize what he's said.

"Sorry Sakura." Hinata whispers, as she picks at her sushi, shyly.

"Ramen time, ramen time, it's the best time of the day!" He sings off tune, completely unaware to what's going on around him.

Kiba watches with a slightly disgusted look on his face as Naruto slurps up unhealthy amounts of ramen before swallowing them whole.

"This guy is unreal."

"I know…"

"Dude!" Kiba slams the table, causing Hinata to jump and Naruto to look up from his ramen feast. "Sorry," he says to Hinata before turning to Naruto, "you have got to teach me how to eat like that."

"Sure!"

Great. They've hit it off… I smile slightly as I watch them. As much as I'm suspicious, I really want to trust them. Why are things so hard?

_A flash of trusting lavender eyes._

_A flash of playful cerulean blue._

Maybe it was because I'd known them for so long. It was hard not to fall right back into old habits.

"Kiba." I nudge him, he's about to go over to Naruto's side so Naruto can teach him the art of swallowing food whole. "Watch him. Make sure… You know."

"Don't worry Saks, I got you covered."

I watch him and bite my lip. I hope so. I hope I can trust Kiba judgment on these things. But I've known Naruto and Hinata for a long time. I don't think that he'd recognize the warning signs that I would, the little signs, like Hinata's stuttering, her finger twitching, her nose scrunching, her eyes shifting, these things give me an edge, and although Naruto has different signs, there are little things for him too. Little things that Kiba just doesn't know.

I sigh and prop my head up onto my hand.

My eyes narrow in on Hinata.

"Hey Hinata. How are things?"

The girl looks up shocked. I frown.

"F-fine."

My eyes narrow.

"What were you thinking about there? You looked to be in pretty deep."

"N-nothing of i-importance."

"If it were nothing of importance you wouldn't be thinking about it now would you?"

"I-I"

The bell rings, right when she was about to snap.

So close.

"Goodbye Sakura, I will see you later." Hinata stands up, throws away her uneaten food and leaves with Naruto who's calling back a, "Bye Sak!" to me.

I wander over to Kiba.

"He's hiding something." He tells me as we head over to class.

"Tell me about it. I almost got whatever it is out of Hinata but the bell rang right before I got her to crack. I was so close, I just needed another minute."

"And there's the fact that they booked it out of here right behind the Uchiha and his crew."

"Considering that we're all going to the same class. I'm getting a bit suspicious here, what do you think Kiba."

"I think, my dear, Ms. Haruno, that I'm going to put on my detectives hat and follow you where ever you go because I sniff a rat."

"Remind me to ask them what Sasuke's reaction was…" I trail off because we're at the door to the classroom and Sasuke and Naruto are looking at each other… no, not looking at each other, or glaring, but… they look like they're exchanging information through glances. I knew it. Something was up.

I look at Kiba and he's looking at me. We do some glance exchange of our own and I nod for him to follow my lead.

I walk into the classroom with a smile on my face. "Shut up Kiba." I say loudly and giggle (and snort).

He chuckles, "I see you still snort when you giggle."

"You still think that's cute?" I tease, but inside I'm burning.

I do not like Kiba. I do not like Kiba.

_I do not like Sasuke. I do not like Sasuke._

"Nah," he answers with an easy grin that makes my heart skip a beat, "I think I think it's adorable." He holds out the a so it's two beats instead of one.

"Aw, Kiba, aren't you just cute." I pinch his cheek and we sit down.

We can't have them thinking we're on to them now can we?

"Wow, Sak!" Naruto calls out over the loud classroom. "I didn't know you and Kiba were dating!"

Kiba puts his arm around my shoulder. "Yeah, every night I sneak into her bedroom and we have some fun." He wiggles his eyebrows around in a suggestive way and I blush so hard it would beat Hinata's blush in a smack down.

"You…" Naruto's eyes are wide and his mouth is open, he looks like a gaping fish. My eyes twitch to Sasuke for a second and you can tell he's completely focused in on our conversation. His eyes are narrowed into slits and he looks like he could kill someone, preferably Kiba. My stomach flutters.

But I don't know if it's anxiety for Kiba, or the way that Sasuke's acting about me, as if he's jealous or something.

"I can feel the Uchiha boring a hole into my back." Kiba mutters into my ear before he says to Naruto more loudly, "Yeah, Sakura's pretty good with video games. She usually beats me, but it's fun seeing her get all competitive. Once she even threw salsa in my face. I count that cheating, but…" he shrugs and lets the rest of the sentence fall away. I shrug his arm off of me. None of that ever really happened, but it was fun seeing their reaction.

Naruto looks as though he's about to respond, relief evident in his face, but the teacher walks in at that moment and commands our attention.

It's like that for the rest of the day.

"So Kiba," I begin, spinning the dial on my locker, "do you need a ride home?"

He looks outside and frowns. It's raining pretty hard.

"Yeah, but there's no way I'm getting into a car with that old hag."

"INUZUKA!" Reverberates through the school halls and he shudders.

"How does she know?"

I shrug. "Woman's intuition?"

He hunkers down and mutters under his breath, "That's no woman, Sakura."

"INUZUKA!" It's louder this time.

"She's getting closer, I suggest that you don't insult her again, you know, if you want to live."

"Good advice." He states, sarcastically.

I smile cheekily, "I do my best. Anyway," I slam my locker shut. "I," I swing the car keys for my new car in his face, "have a new car. You're welcome to shotgun if you like."

"Hell yeah! But do you think you could let me drive."

"Nope." I say, popping the p. "This is all mine. I just got it."

"Alright fine, let's go."

I smile, but as I lead him away, I see Sasuke. He's all alone, his hands are in his pockets and he's leaning against a wall. His smoldering onyx orbs are set on me, and he's watching me as I walk away. But this isn't the hateful glare I've come to know in the time he's been here. It's different, kind of like it used to be before, but not really. Protective, but not.

Were Naruto and Hinata right?

Were we looking too much into things?

But as soon enough, that almost protective gaze turns into something harsh and I can't help but wonder if it was there at all.

"_I'll always protect you Sakura, I can't not protect you."_

It no longer feels this way and I wonder if maybe he was wrong.

* * *

_Oh, look, is this another chapter? I think it is._

_Yeah, how awesome am I? I have a lot of things to be doing but I do this. Mostly because I'm getting all these reviews that say pretty much the same thing:_

_That Sakura shouldn't have forgiven them so easily._

_So I had to rush this chapter out so you could see that I had a plan. Cherries thinks before she writes! Sometimes. _

_(I forgot to put this in last chapter because it was dark and I was in pain and tired and I fell asleep and drooled on my laptop and…okay too much info right?)_

_Anyway, yay to my reviewers! Even if the repetitiveness did irritate the hell out of me, you reviewed and I love you for it! (In a completely not weird/stalkerish way.) I like reviews! They keep me going. (See how soon I got this chapter out? They motivate me!)_

_So yeah, the lesson of my not story is to review!_


	15. Chapter 14

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale

* * *

**

A month, a whole month has passed and still, still we haven't found anything to show that Hinata and Naruto aren't who they say they are. I'm beginning to doubt myself. Well actually, scratch that last part out. I haven't been able to find anything out. I have no clue about Kiba. Ever since he's started hanging out with HIM, Naruto, things have spiraled out of control. Kiba is like another part of THEIR group and it hurts.

It hurts a lot.

I HATE having to get up and drive to school only to be met with the whispers and the stares and no Kiba there to comfort me or make jokes about how stupid they all are. I have no one. Again. And it's worse than before because I'd believed in Kiba and I can't stand that I'm losing him.

I'd trusted him.

I'd trusted him when I thought that I wouldn't trust anyone ever again.

I guess that's my fault, though.

I guess that saying is true. History does repeat itself. In the most brutal of ways.

"_I promise. I will never, ever leave you alone Sak."_

_I sniff and he wipes my eyes._

"_Promise?"_

"_Of course. What do you take me for? A liar?"_

_I smile up at him and push stray locks of my hair out of my face._

"_No."_

I frown down at my shoes. Yes.

And thinking back to that roof-top memory and it hits me like a ton of bricks. Could I get any slower? Their plan. Their stupid plan! They started hanging out with me less and less the closer Kiba and Naruto became as friends. Their plan?

To isolate me.

Divide and conquer right?

I should have seen this coming… I should have…

"Sakura!" The harsh voice snaps me back to attention.

"Yes?" I look up, innocently, hoping against hope that my sweet face innocent face will help me get out of this situation.

'Come on Iruka! Call on someone else! Like Kiba! Pick on Kiba! Or Naruto!' Telepathic messages don't fail me now!

I bite on my lower lip and give a sweet angelic look. He takes pity on me when he sees other kids bothering me. Normally I don't like it but it could come in handy right about now.

"Are you paying attention?" My telepathic powers have obviously failed.

"Yes?" I tilt my head in that cute adorable way that I have.

"Is that a question or a statement?" His eyes narrow and he glares at me, I notice, in the back of my mind that his scar scrunches up.

"A statement?" Oops, that's another question.

"Alright Sakura," his eyes narrow but he lets me go, "Yamanaka, since you are enjoying this situation why don't you answer the question on the board?"

"But I thought Sakura was going to answer it!" Ino whines in that same way she's always have, I haven't noticed her in a while, kind of ironic since you used to be 'BFF's.

"Well what gave you that idea Ino?" She really shouldn't have talked back. Now she's got a target on her and he's going to call on her more often.

"Well you called on her." Ino shoots at him.

"I also called on you." Iruka shoots right back.

It's like a tennis match. You can't tear your eyes away and in a few moments Ino has lost.

"Fine. I'll answer your question."

"Watch your tone Ino, I can always send you to detention."

"Troublesome woman." I hear it somewhere next to me and I'm surprised to see that Shikamaru's sitting right next to me with his head in his hands. When did he get there? I look over at Ino and see that Kiba's sleeping right next to her.

For the last week I've been sitting alone at my table. So why has Shikamaru suddenly popped up?

He's Ino's boyfriend. They must have sent that lazy genius to spy on me, see what I know.

Feel me out.

I don't talk to him or make eye contact for the rest of class. Instead I stare straight ahead and pay attention to Iruka, raising my hand to answer questions like a good little student.

So I don't notice when he slips the note into my notebook.

After the bell rings, signaling both the end of class and the end of the school day, I hastily pick my things up. I'm eager to get away from Shikamaru, Kiba, Ino, Naruto, Hinata, all of them. I'm sick of this stupid game.

But as I get up, I fall back down, my bag got caught in my chair, and my stuff litters the floor around me.

"Nice one klutz." Tenten laughs as she makes her way around my things. The others have all left and she and Neji are the last ones to go.

"Hn. Come."

"Aw, Neji you never let me have any fun!"

"_Hn. Sakura. Come."_

"_Sasuke! I'm not your dog. You can't command me to come."_

"_That's because you're an untrained puppy."_

_He smirks and I punch his arm._

"_You never let me have any fun."_

"_Hn."_

Tenten pouts as she's led away by Neji and I could swear there was a glimmer of something in his eyes. Something I can't put my hand on, but it was the same sort of something Shikamaru's eyes had earlier.

"Great." I sigh and bend down to pick the fallen things up, and stuff them into my bag one by one. I have time now that I don't need to get rides with Tsunade.

It seems that our luck has switched. Before my luck increased as hers decreased and now the opposite has happened, although I am glad that Jiraiya is back. I've missed him.

Now if only Kakashi would come back. I miss him, and I know that he's one of the few people who believed me after the whole incident.

The last thing on the floor is a pink note that fell out of my notebook, but I don't remember putting it there.

I open it and read it slowly as I stand up.

**theRe aRe mORe whO belieVe YOu.**

**tRuSt in uS.**

**tRuSt in the One we Send tO YOu. **

**tOdaY 4:00 ShaRP.**

**yOuR hOuSe.**

**theRe iS mOre gOing On than what YOu think.**

**-the helPerS**

It's a cryptic note and I reread it a couple of times, but something (against my better judgment) makes me want to believe in it. Something tells me that who wrote this has true intentions. But my gut has been wrong before, with Kiba, Naruto, Hinata, every one of my past friends, everyone who's written me off as crazy. It's a pretty long list of screw ups.

I'm going to feel this out first. I've learned not to blindly trust.

_Trick me once, shame on you._

_Trick me twice, shame on me._

I'm up to a pretty high number now. I can't afford to get tricked again.

I glance over at the note. 4:00. I glance down at my clock and start running to my locker because if my watch is correct then I have exactly forty-five minutes to get to my house before whoever the heck sent me that note arrives.

I come screeching to a halt when I see who's leaning on my locker.

My heart starts beating. Fast.

My palms start sweating.

My body feels numb all over.

And I can't catch my breath.

His hands are in his pockets and he's leaning against my locker like it's nothing. Like he's waiting for me at the end of the day just like he always used to. Just like he'd promised he always would.

At my dramatic entrance he looks up and meets my eyes. He does that hair-flip thing and my heart feels like it's going to pound right out of my chest.

Stop it Sakura! He's betrayed you.

My eyes narrow.

He pushes off of my locker.

"It's about time…Sakura…"

I'm proud to say I don't flinch at the sound of my name.

"Sasuke."

"_It's about time Sakura. I was getting tired of waiting. In fact I was just about to leave you here."_

"_Sasuke!"_

"_Hn."_

"_What kind of stupid boyfriend would leave his girlfriend to walk home? For all you know, I could be raped out on the streets!"_

"_Hn. Stop being so overdramatic."_

"_I am not being overdramatic! You're being under-dramatic."_

"_That's not a word Sakura."_

"_You're not a word Sasuke!"_

"_Well obviously. I'm pretty sure I'm human."_

"_Stupid Uchiha's."_

How many times did we have conversations to an effect similar to that? Dozens. Hundreds. Thousands probably.

I stride to my locker and spin the dial, quickly. I don't need him knowing what my combination is. I swap my books and glance at my watch before slamming the locker shut and walking, brusquely down the hall. I have thirty-five minutes now.

Sasuke hasn't left my side. In fact, he's keeping up with me sticking to my side like glue.

"_I'm rubber, Sasuke, you're glue. Anything you say bounces off of me and sticks to you!"_

"Is there something you wanted Sasuke?"

We've reached my car now and I unlock it. I open the passenger seat and stick my bag in there before slamming that door and going back around to mine.

Sasuke's leaning on it.

"Move."

"…"

"…"

We're in a staring contest now, and no one can beat the Uchiha at glares and not speaking. I'm not much one of either. So I go for the annoying approach.

"Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. Move. MOVE DAMMIT!" With every move I jab my (very sharp) nails into his skin. "I swear if you don't move your ass right now I will-"

"You will what Sakura?" His voice has gone as cold as steel and his eyes too. I gulp. I forgot who-what I was dealing with.

My eyes widen and I take a step back from him, only now noticing how closely we were being pushed together.

"Well?"

I don't answer; I just stare at him, my eyes probably the sizes of saucers.

"Tch. Annoying."

For some reason my eyes begin to water at this. The tears don't leak but I have to blink rapidly to restore my vision.

He pushes off of my car door and heads over to his own car. It's parked to spaces over. Huh, I didn't notice that this morning.

I close my eyes and clench my fists, sucking in deep, cleansing, breaths. Before I open my own car door. I have one foot in when Sasuke calls to me, forcing me to turn, instinctively, towards him-the caller of my name.

"Oh and Sakura?" He has the driver's side door open. He's got one foot in too. "There is more going on than what you think." With that he folds himself into his car and drives off while I stand there frozen, one foot in, one foot out.

'There is more going on than you think.'

**theRe iS mOre gOing On than what YOu think.**

Does this mean that Sasuke…that he's working for…them? Whoever they are?

I'm confused horribly, horribly confused.

I check my watch again.

3:48.

Twelve minutes.

Quickly, I get in, buckle my seatbelt, check my mirrors, and turn on the car, before slowly pulling out of the parking lot. Even if I am racing the clock, I don't want to die before I figure things out.

These are things I need to figure out.

Things I want to figure out.

Things I have to figure out.

Things that have been haunting me since my parent's death.

I get home at 3:58.

Immediately I go into the kitchen, where I'm sure I'll find either Jiraiya or Tsunade, but neither is here and I begin to have the faintest curiosity as to why before I see a note taped onto the fridge.

**sakura. **

**went out on a date.**

**xoxo**

**jiraiya + tsundade.**

I haven't fully decided yet whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, but the doorbell rings before I do, stopping me from contemplating it further.

I check my watch 4:00. Right on time.

I walk to the front, shouting out an, "I'm coming!" to whoever's out there with the answers that I so desperately need-crave, even though they probably can't hear me, I suppose I needed to yell that, so I don't feel so alone.

Because suddenly that's what I feel.

Alone.

I yank open the door.

"_Everything's all smoke and mirrors."_

The sun blinds me for a moment.

"_You can't see clearly."_

And immediately I recoil at the person I see standing on my doorstep.

"_Even if the truth's in front of you."_

He's leaning against the side, hands shoved deep in to his pockets, like he could stand there all day.

"_There is more going on than you think."_

"Hey."

* * *

_Ooh, who is it? I wonder… hmm…_

_Anyway, I know I'm mean, putting a cliffy in there like that, but that's just how I role. (Don't worry though; I'll update real fast, 'k?)_

_For those of you who haven't read my profile (shame!) I have a deviantART now! (I was forced into it! And quite frankly I enjoy living, what would happen to you if I didn't create one and died? Huh, my lovely reviewers?) Anyway, the link's on there and don't worry (those of you who haven't read my profile! Again, shame!) I will also stay on here and update just as irregularly as I did before! So it's all good. But I'll probably be posting things up there too. Things that aren't fanfiction related._

_Now, on to the most important subject of the night!_

_This story. This one, right here. Has surpassed 100 reviews. There are 102 to be exact! And me, being the slow person that I am, saw this only yesterday, though it has been like this for a while. And I squealed and jumped around. And was called crazy by my mom/dad/brother/various neighbors who complained about the noise (yes I was that loud thank you very much)._

_So to each person that reviewed, this chapter is dedicated to you! (If you favorited this, then it can be dedicated to you too, because you could have advertised it to someone and they left a review.)_

_(I bet you guys who didn't review are feeling lonely and left out, now aren't you?)_

_I don't think I should tell you to review now, because I should be all happy and grateful that I've reached A HUNDRED AND TWO! But I'm a review whore and this is what I do._

_I tell you to review!_

_(It actually does help me update faster. Keep that in mind. Cough-cliffy-up-there-cough!)_

_Review!_


	16. Chapter 15

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

"What are you-Where have you-Why are you-" I'm flustered and I can't even make complete sentences, I'm surprised I can even make words.

"Yo." My eye twitches. How can he be so calm?

"Yo? Yo? Is that all you can say? Where the hell have you been for the past month?"

"It's wise if you only ask one question at a time Sakura." I start glaring at him.

"I'm waiting for someone. If you aren't that someone… leave."

"Well I'm hurt. But I'll have you know, my sweet Cherry Blossom, I am that someone."

I look him over skeptically, my lazy porn reading teacher? A part of The Helpers? Well… I guess this means I can trust them. My eyes narrow as he whips out his handy dandy porn book. "So you're a part of The-mpph!"

"Quiet," he whispers in my ear, the mask he always wears tickles my skin, "not out here. Not where people-where they-can hear."

"They? Who're they?"

"Well that's what I'm here to inform you about my sweet Cherry Blossom."

"Fine. Come in." I open the door wide, for him to come in and as soon as he steps in, I peek my head out. There's nothing different about the streets, maybe my leg's being pulled. I slam the door shut and eye my guest.

"Why thank you for allowing me into your cherished and lovely abode, Cherry Blossom. I hear that Jiraiya has moved back in." His eye crinkles and I can tell he's smiling. That evil old man's not going to hold out on me.

"Cut the crap Kakashi. Let's get straight as to why you're here. And stop calling me 'Cherry Blossom'. It's irritating." I huff and cross my arms over my chest as I lead him over to the sofa.

"What? No offers of refreshment for your honored guest? You are a horrible hostess Sakura." He sits on the sofa across from me and keeps his head bowed to look at his stupid little book.

"I don't offer refreshments to old perverts."

"Now, now, Sakura, remember I have the information."

"And I can report that you came to my house and tried to rape me. I'm pretty sure some of the neighbors saw you come in here. At least the creepy guy who's always spying on us, the one who lives across the street."

Suddenly Kakashi's all serious. In business mode I should say.

"A creepy guy? Like a stalker?"

"Yeah. He's lived across the street for as long as I've lived in this house."

Now Kakashi's mumbling to himself and I strain to hear the words. It's a good thing he thinks out loud.

"How could we have missed this? There should be some record of this somewhere… It couldn't be one of them… No, it definitely couldn't have been. We have all of their locations… Unless… Unless it's him. He has been missing for the same amount of years. He could have blended in…"

I'm totally confused right now.

"Sakura."

My head snaps up. I wasn't eavesdropping on Kakashi's conversation to himself! I swear!

"Yes?" Stay cool and collected.

"Is the man… familiar looking?" I'm pretty sure my eyebrows are scrunching up.

"Well what do you mean by that?"

"I mean have you ever seen him before you moved here?"

I think back to my life before... it's hard. I haven't thought about it in so long, I've tried to keep the memories suppressed for so long. I don't want to look back, but the urgency in Kakashi's voice makes me do his bidding.

So I strain to think back.

"No… I don't think so. Well maybe I have seen him, but in Konoha, who doesn't know each other? Maybe I have seen him before and I don't remember."

"Think Sakura. Come on. It's imperative that you do!" He's starts leaning in towards me and then it seems like he realizes something and gets up to close all the curtains and blinds and starts checking the walls, then he heads towards the door. "Think. I'll be right back."

I take a sneak peek out of the curtains. Kakashi's checking the wall and talking on his phone to someone. I can't hear from in here, so I sit back and try to remember.

He walks back in five minutes later.

"Have you remembered?"

"No. I don't even know what the guy across the street looks like. All I've ever seen of him is a black cloak with red clouds and there's a fraternity in KU that wears those cloaks so it could be anyone of them."

_Swish._

_I turn around. Black cloak. Red clouds._

_I look up for a face, but I don't see one._

_Instead there's only blackness and I wake up passed out on my lawn._

"Well I was hoping for a description, but this will do too." He's grim and he speaks on his cell again. He says just one word, "Confirmed."

"What?" I'm confused.

"Nothing Sakura. Nothing at all. Well nothing for you to worry about yet."

I'm suspicious but I know that Kakashi can hold on to a secret for a long time. So I decide to drop it. After all I want information and information is what he's here to give me.

"So you want to tell me who The Helpers are?" I narrow my eyes, "And what I have to do with them."

Kakashi sighs, "I guess we'll get right to it then?" he takes one look at me and nods, "Okay. The Helpers are an organization. They were made the same year your parents died. They were made because your parents died. You have everything to do with them and them with you."

"I'm…lost." This is making no sense.

"Why don't we start from your story Sakura? Why don't we begin with why your friends left you? When clearly you were in the right, and you were justified for every move you made. Why were you slandered? Then I'll fill in the gaps."

I want to stall now. "Kakashi, no one uses the words 'slandered' anymore."

"Whatever Sakura. Just begin. You want answers from me don't you?"

"Yes." I whisper, eyes downcast.

"Begin after your parents' death, begin with the drugs and I'll tell you when to stop."

"Alright." I whisper and look at my tightly clenched hands. My green nail polish is chipping. I start to help it.

"_Hello Sakura."_

"_Hi Itachi. I haven't seen you around lately…"_

"_Ah yes."_

_He gazes at his black nail polish. _

_I've always wanted to ask if it's permanent._

"_I've heard about your parents. My condolences."_

"_Thanks."_

_My voice is a squeak._

"_Itachi, get away from Sakura."_

_Sasuke appears at the head of the stairs, glaring at his brother._

"_Really? Foolish little brother, you can't command me to do anything."_

_I'm confused. Itachi and Sasuke love each other?_

_Why do I feel this hatred in the room?_

"_Come on Sak, let's go."_

"_Yes Sakura, go with my little brother. You two have very little time left together."_

"What Itachi said was true. We broke up three weeks later…"

"_Hello Sakura."_

"_Hi Itachi. Deidara. Sasori. Where's Kisame?"_

"_In the kitchen. Getting us all something to drink. Would you like a glass of water Sakura? My foolish brother won't offer you anything to drink, so I will in his stead."_

"_No. I'm fine. Is Sasuke home?"_

"_Foolish little brother! You're girlfriend's here looking for you!"_

_A second later Sasuke shows up._

"_Hey Sakura. I know we made plans and I was just about to text you to cancel."_

"_Oh…why? Well the guys are dragging me somewhere."_

_He looks me over, a little agitated and a little worried._

_He completely ignores his brother._

"_It's fine Sasuke!"_

_I fake a smile at him._

_He nods and walks the rest of the way down, grabbing his keys from the dish by the door._

"_Need a ride?"_

"_No. I can walk home. I only live around the curve."_

"_Sure?"_

"_Yeah."_

_I head outside with him and he drives in the opposite direction I'm going._

"_You know Sakura…"_

_I turn to find Itachi calling out the door._

"_We're going to a club. Would you like to come?"_

"I don't know why I said yes. Sasuke…he'd been warning me to stay away from his brother for a while and I don't know. Maybe it was just the fact that he'd canceled and then not really cared if I found my way home or not. Because usually he'd insist on taking me home, not taking no for an answer even if he'd end up being really late to wherever it was that he was going. I began to feel isolated. I had been feeling that way for weeks."

"Sakura. Your memories have been tampered with."

"Wha-"

"You left with Sasuke. It was the next day that he had to cancel on you. And you knew the reason why."

"But then…"

"You did go to the club of your own free will. We don't know what you were told but you went there."

"And then someone put something in my drink. I passed out."

_Flashing lights._

_Bodies grinding._

_Itachi leading me through the crowd._

_Laughter._

_Familiar laughter._

_Colorful drinks._

_The smell of smoke._

"And you gave away secret information."

"I don't get it." Gave away information?

"You're one of us Sakura. Everyone who was close to you-except for yours truly, Tsunade and Jiraiya, we were the ones left to protect you. But you were one of us; someone erased your memory and replaced some of it. That's why we had to send your friends away. Make them act like they hated you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you were near death. Every time one of them came near you, you'd clutch your head because you were trying to fight the memory block. So we tampered with your memories. We fixed it so that you thought they hated you, that they left. We couldn't reverse what happened to your memories before. But we can now. If you'll let us."

"How do I know…"

"To trust us?"

"What does your gut tell you Sakura?"

"That nothing makes sense."

"You're one of us Sakura. We can help you remember. Sasuke and the others have been working restlessly to get the machine working. You can be a group again. You can be happy again."

"I don't know…"

"Kiba's one of us too, you know."

My head shoots up at this.

"A Helper?"

"Well why don't I give you a more technical term? Or can you guess Sakura?"

My eyes are probably cloudy. I'm thinking that what Kakashi is saying makes sense. I'm thinking there are weird memories in my head that wouldn't make sense otherwise. I'm thinking that unconsciously I've been trying to break through.

"A ninja." His eye crinkles in the way that I know he's smiling.

Suddenly the glass in the big window to the right of us shatters.

"_Hello Sakura."_

"Hi Itachi."

* * *

_I'll leave it at that._

_Well you know a lot now don't you? _

_This was not originally what I'd had planned for this story and I'm surprised to see how much it's changed. (In a good way.)_

_I know this is short and I'm sorry but I've had so much crap to do lately. I decided I'd shorten this one and have all the action in the next one, and I'd answer your questions just because this chapter wouldn't be much without it._

_Oh, and it wasn't going to be Kakashi at the door originally, but then it flowed better, and I couldn't let you darling reviewers down. Almost all of you guessed Kakashi. _

_Review!_

_Usually I answer to them, even if it is just to thank you!_


	17. Chapter 16

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

"_You know Sakura; you're a very pretty girl. I don't know why you chose my brother over all the other men you could have. Men who are a lot better than him."_

"_That's a silly question Itachi! I love Sasuke. In my eyes he's the best."_

"_You put too much faith in my foolish little brother, Sakura."_

_I grin up at him. I'm lying on the couch, while he's leaning up against the back of it._

"_Maybe you don't put enough faith into him Itachi."_

_I'm waiting for Sasuke, he's not home right now, but we have a date in a few minutes._

"_Perhaps."_

_Just then my phone beeps._

"_I bet that's my foolish little brother calling you to let you know he can't make it to your date."_

_I ignore him and answer my phone._

"_Hey Sakura."_

_I can tell Sasuke's running his hand through his gravity-defying hair. _

_I can also tell that he has bad news._

"_Let me guess, you can't make it?"_

"_I'm sorry Sak, Naruto and I were assigned a last-minute mission since Shikamaru didn't show."_

"_He's either cloud watching or sleeping."_

"_I know, but now we're stuck with it."_

"_That's okay Sasuke! We'll reschedule."_

"_Thanks Sak. I know things have been hard on you and this just adds to it but-"_

"_It's really okay Sasuke!"_

"_Okay. Thanks."_

_He lets out a sigh of relief._

"_Are you at my house?"_

"_Yeah."_

_I get up, ready to leave and walk back over to mine._

"_Want us to come drop you off before we leave? We can make a short detour."_

"_No way! It'll jeopardize everything. Besides I only live around the corner. It's, like, a five minute walk."_

"_Fine, fine. Just don't bite my head off."_

"_Bye Sasuke! I love you."_

"_Bye Sak. Love you too."_

_I hang up and open the door when Itachi grabs hold of my hand._

"_Since my brother canceled on you, why don't you come out with me and my friends, hmm?"_

"_No thanks Itachi, knowing you guys you'll probably be going to some high priced stripper club."_

"_That hurts my feelings Sakura, we are in fact going to a high priced bar."_

"_I got half of it right!"_

_I grin at him, but I also tug on my arm. Itachi's stronger than me. He could force me to go. Briefly I wonder if I can get to my phone and call or even text Sasuke for help if I need it. _

_Briefly I wonder why I didn't accept his offer for a ride, I should have known better than to be here with Itachi and not expect him to pull something. There's a reason Sasuke's been jumpy around him lately. _

"_Come on Sa-ku-ra. It'll be fun."_

"_No. I have things to do Itachi. And don't stretch my name out like that."_

"_But you were going out on a date with my foolish little brother, who may I also remind you stretches out your name, little, Sa-ku-ra."_

"_Let me go Itachi."_

"_No, I quite like holding you, Sa-ku-ra."_

_I decide Itachi needs a little help learning how to let go. I aim my leg to swing up and kick his face, but he grabs it, so I try to land a punch, a punch that someone's hand grabs. Someone who isn't Itachi. And someone who's squeezing my hand really hard._

"_Trying to leave, Sakura?"_

"_Deidara. Care to explain why you guys aren't letting me leave? I thought you were gentlemen?"_

"_Oh we are Sakura."_

_They're all coming out of the kitchen now. _

"_We are. But not to girls like you."_

"_And what's that supposed to mean?"_

_Itachi chuckles._

"_Foolish."_

"_You think this is funny? A joke?"_

"_Actually, I think this is quite funny."_

"_Well are you going to answer me?"_

"_Good girls."_

_Deidara answers for him, and before I can open my mouth the world fades to nothing._

_I'm groggy when I wake up. We're in some dark place. It smells like trash._

_I groan. What happened?_

"_Look, the little princess is awake."_

"_How are you feeling Sakura?"_

"_What happened?" _

_I moan again before I can stop myself._

_Laughter echoes around us as I remember what happened._

_My eyes fly open and I see that I'm chained._

"_YOU KIDNAPPED ME? AND CHAINED ME TO A STUPID WALL?"_

"_Now, now, Sakura, there is no need to hurt the wall's feelings. It could be a smart wall. You don't know what it's capable of."_

_Itachi chuckles and I watch as the wall gains spikes. And I feel those spikes dig into my arms, my legs, my back._

"_What do you want with me?"_

_Itachi smirks and answers me after a moment of what looks like contemplation._

"_With you? Nothing. With my foolish little brother? Something. With his foolish best friend? A lot. And, it's not that we hold anything against you personally Sakura, but, unfortunately for you, you're the fastest way we can get what we want."_

_Deidara steps forward._

"_Are you comfortable my dear?"_

_I strain against the bindings, and I can feel blood running down my body._

"_You guys are going to pay."_

"_We don't plan on it. But Sakura, if I were you, I'd try to stop bleeding."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_My eyes narrow and Itachi's get this glint in them._

"_I mean, that wall that you're tied to, isn't really a wall. And it's hungry. Would you like to know its favorite food? Blood."_

_Deidara chuckles._

"_Blood and the screams of its victims."_

_The spikes tear into me and I scream._

_I see Toby skip down the stairs out of the corner of my eye._

"_Hi Sakura! Are you feeding my pet well? He hasn't had much to eat lately. We've been keeping him hungry for you. You should be honored! Tobi would be honored."_

"_Well why don't you switch places with me Tobi?"_

_I ask it through clenched teeth, trying to fight back my screams of agony. I think these spikes are poison tipped. I can't heal them without my hands. _

"_Tobi hopes that Itachi and Deidara warned Sakura that the more she struggles the more hurt she feels?"_

"_No. They forgot to mention that little part."_

"_Oh. Well Tobi told you and Tobi is a good boy!"_

"_Tobi."_

_Deidara's a little irritated by Tobi. Deidara's always at least a little irritated at Tobi._

"_What are you doing down here?"_

"_Oh, Tobi almost forgot! Kisame told Tobi to tell Itachi and Deidara that the enemy has infiltrated and he needs back up."_

_Tobi said this proudly as if it was the hardest thing he's ever had to do._

_But I don't focus on him._

_Both Deidara and Itachi are looking at each other._

"_This has now gotten interesting."_

"_Shall we go welcome my foolish little brother?"_

"_Tobi, stay here with Sakura."_

"_Tobi is a good boy!"_

_They leave and it's only a few moments before Tobi's talking my ear off._

"_Tobi. Just. SHUT. UP."_

"_But Tobi wants to talk to Sakura."_

_I scream again. This time I'm not sure if it's the anguish I feel or the fact that Tobi is so irritating that I would gladly have this wall-thing eat me just so I won't hear his voice anymore._

"_Sakura? SAKURA!"_

_I hear my name being called at a distance. I see Itachi run back down the stairs, this time covered in blood. I can't tell if it's his or someone else's. I hope it's not Sasuke's in some distant part of my brain. Itachi's cursing and muttering something but I've lost too much blood. I can't focus on it._

_He calls my name and I force myself to look up._

_I see Sasuke and Naruto, also bloody, enter the scene._

_But my gaze moves to Itachi once more and as I look into his eyes, I feel my own begin to close._

_I'm in a black space. There's nothing around me. Living or dead._

'_Where am I?'_

'_Who am I?'_

'_Sleep Sakura, sleep. This is all a dream-a nightmare. It'll all be over soon.'_

_That's right. _

_I'm Sakura._

_Sakura Haruno._

_I have pink hair and green eyes._

_I'm 15 years old. _

_My parents are dead._

_It's my fault._

'_Who are you? Hello? Can you hear me?'_

_I love Sasuke._

_Sasuke loves me._

_I have good friends._

_I love them too._

_Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, Hinata, Tenten, Neji…_

'_Sleep Sakura, sleep. You will know me when you see me again. You will recognize me, and only then will you remember.'_

'_What? Hello? Where'd you go? What will I remember? What did I forget?'_

_All I hear is laughter as I drift off._

"Well you're still pretty Sakura."

"Who would have thought you'd be giving me compliments."

My eyes narrow at him.

"Well you aren't with my brother anymore so I figured, what's the harm?"

"I can't believe you took my memories from me."

"Well If I were you, I'd believe it. You have them back, don't you? You know what has happened."

"_Sleep and it'll all be over soon."_

"I do. And now I think I'm going to extract my revenge."

* * *

_Yay! Next chapter. Finally. That took me a while, and I'm sorry for that. I've had a lot to do._

_This wasn't where I planned to leave off, but then I thought that you guys deserved another chapter and shouldn't have to wait for me to write the next part. So I'll split this into two._

_Review!_


	18. Chapter 17

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

"_Sakura, sweetheart, stay with us, you have to stay awake, baby. You have to."_

"_I don't… I don't want to. It hurts."_

_Everything is blurry, focusing in, only to fade back out._

"_I know, baby, I know, just try."_

"_Where's my mom? And my dad?"_

"…"

"_Where are they?"  
"They're gone, sweetie, they're gone, remember?"_

"_No. You're lying."_

"_I wouldn't lie to you baby, I love you."_

_Things have finally focused in._

_I look up into the boy who's holding me._

_He's handsome._

_Beautiful._

_Otherworldly._

_And he's worried about me._

"_Who are you?"_

_I manage to get the words out between my lips. I feel horrible._

_His dark orbs cloud over, his hair is a mess. Kind of like a chicken's butt._

_A breeze tosses it around, and for a second I'm confused, I could have sworn I'd been in an enclosed space a few moments before._

"_It's me, Sasuke. Remember? Your boyfriend? Your best friend. The tickle monster!" _

_As I watch him, his eyes get more and more panicked, and some little voice inside me tells me that he'd be really desperate and worried to ever admit that he was the tickle monster in front of Naruto._

_I look up and see, for the first time, a blond-headed, blue-eyed stranger looking down at me, confused and worried._

"_Sak, you okay?"_

_His voice is also etched with concern._

"_I think so. My body hurts. Are you…"_

_There's a flash of pain that cuts through my mind, something that lasts only for a second, but is so painful it leaves me breathless. _

_And I've lost his name._

_I look back up at the boy holding me. He's my age. _

_And there's no way he can be my boyfriend._

_I study him closely and for a moment his name forms on my lips._

'_Sasuke.'_

_But then the blinding pain is back and soon I forget his name again._

_I forget that I know him._

_He's a stranger once more._

_But I fight. I remember that I remembered for a moment._

_I fight until it's so painful that I can't breathe. _

_I fight until I squeeze Sasuke's hand so hard I'm sure I've broken it._

_I fight and fight._

_And I only succeed in forgetting why I'm causing myself so much pain._

_Why I'm causing the boy holding my hand so much pain._

_Instead of trying to remember, because I somehow know it will cause me more pain. I decide to go back into the darkness. I like it better there. Pain isn't allowed there._

"So Sakura, are you still all talk and no action? Or are you going to fight me? I don't see you strapped to a 'wall' so I don't believe you have any excuse not to fight." He's smirking at me and acting like he's somehow superior. Yeah right, I'm so angry I could punch his pretty little face into a wall.

"Bring it on Itachi." I've decided to punch his pretty little face in. It won't be so pretty when I'm done with it, "Your face is going to resemble Naruto's butt when I'm done with it."

"My Sakura, those are fighting words. Care to see if you can deliver?"

"Careful, Sakura." Oh, I forget all about Kakashi.

"Then let's take this outside Itachi. It'll be more fun out there. Kakashi, why don't you fight that thing coming out of the floor there?"

Kakashi turns around and I can tell he's smirking and raising one of his eyebrows, wondering how he missed that thing and how I didn't.

"Of course, My Lady, anything for you."

"Cut the crap and just fight it."

"Of course." We both begin our separate fights.

I smile; I haven't felt this way in a while and pretty soon my body is on autopilot. Fighting is just like riding a bike.

To me, it's like second nature.

"You took away my life, my friends' life, my parents' life, basically anyone close to me. So I want to know, why me?"

"Well that, Sakura, is something I cannot, and will not, tell you."

"Why the hell not?"

"Because it's not my place to tell you, although I must say that I am impressed you can still fight this way. You're a little rusty, though." With his last line, he manages to get a punch on my cheek.

I slide back and wipe the blood from the corner of my mouth. I'd managed to block him pretty well until that last punch, and there had been some force behind that blow.

"Come now Sakura, I thought you were going to be the one doing the face smashing?"

"Oh, believe me; I will smash your face in. Just wait."

"I'm not particularly patient."

"It's alright, you don't need to be." I jump back in, and we start blocking each other's attacks once more.

_I'm groggy and I want to stretch, but I don't make a sound, I don't move an inch, because the people in my room think I'm asleep, they think I can't hear them._

_I recognize two of the voices, the two boys who were outside, the one with the chicken butt hair and the one who resembled the sun. They're talking to a woman, they're talking about me._

"_What do you mean she won't remember anything?"_

_Sun-Boy._

"_Explain yourself Tsunade."_

_Okay, woman's name is Tsunade._

_Chicken-Butt does not seem happy with her-actually they both don't._

"_I mean exactly what I said. I can't reverse whatever Itachi put her under. Either he undoes it himself, or she manages to undo it."_

"_But I saw her try, it caused her more pain and when she remembered something, it just left a second later, if she tried remembering something she'd go through intense pain."_

"_My hand proves that."_

_Oops. I think I broke his hand._

_I must have made some noise, or something, at that point, because the woman, Tsunade, said that I was awake._

_Having, basically, no choice, I open my eyes, and the first person I see is Chicken-Butt. Involuntarily, I smile up at him._

_His name comes to me, once again._

"_Sas-" I gasp._

_The memory has gone. But not the pain._

"I loved him. I loved them. And you took that away. You took it away! You were supposed to look out for him, for me! You promised. You, YOU LIAR!"

I manage to get a hit on his face, but he doesn't slide back, and I realize that I hadn't used force at all.

Itachi grabs my wrist, and holds it, "Trust me Sakura, I was protecting you. I didn't have to give you your memories back. Their machine wouldn't have worked." He's lowered his voice to a whisper now, "Just remember Sakura, as you should know, things aren't always what they seem. There are many different shades of gray in between the world of black and white."

Then he's gone.

"_I'll keep you safe until you're needed once more."_

And our reinforcements have finally arrived.

* * *

_I've actually had most of this written for a while; I just have been kinda busy. School's closing, you know?_

_But anyway, it's Memorial Day weekend, which means no school tomorrow, which means I'm very happy._

_Now my three reasons for updating: 1) B on chem. test! 2) Dilemma's (story that you should read, it's on my favorites) was updated, and 3) I just felt like it!_

_I'm telling you, this story isn't going to be more than 25 chapters long. Unless you want it to be._

_I've been rereading and fixing up my other stories, which is why I haven't been updating (I make the stupidest mistakes sometimes). _

_Sorry for the messed up chapter numbers, I'm actually going to put them in Roman Numerals, maybe that'll make it better-cuz they're confusing me, and I'm pretty sure they're confusing everyone else too._

_Now review and tell me your opinions!_

_Even if they're mean._

_By the way, did you know the insides of blueberries are white?_


	19. Chapter 18

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

I could feel the stares as I walked down the hallway in this foreign but faintly familiar secret layer that I haven't been in since I was young. I feel like I'm right back to the beginning again, walking down the hallway, on that second week of school this year when they showed up and turned my world upside down all over again.

Well it seems that my world's right-side up now. Even if I don't understand everything, and I want nothing more than to go back in time and change everything to before.

I'm being escorted (marched) into what has stayed my room. Apparently Jiraiya and Tsunade have shipped all my stuff down here, and apparently they're down here too… somewhere. Maybe I'll go find them later. I need something familiar.

All of them, Kakashi, Sasuke, Ino, Shikamaru, Naruto, Hinata, Tenten, Neji, Kiba and Karin, are around me, surrounding me as if someone's going to break in down here and steal me away the first chance they get.

I keep sneaking glances at them, and I know they're doing the same to me. I also know that when we eventually start speaking again, things are going to be really, really awkward. Things aren't going to be how they used to be. I bite my lip and wonder why the heck this is happening to me. Why's my world always the one that's being shifted, turned, flipped? What did I do to deserve this?

"_You're special Sakura, if to no one else, then to us."_

"_To us, you are the world."_

I sigh, since I'm obviously not getting anywhere with the whole people surrounding me situation, I might as well have my brain do something useful. Like try and figure out what Itachi was trying to say. Something tells me that he hasn't given me all my memories back. Like when I think back to when I was captured. Before Sasuke and Naruto came down to get me.

Something happened. Something that I can't remember, and that something's bothering me, not in the painful way of Sasuke and others, but in the way that's more headache causing. The feeling of something right on the tip of your tongue but you can't remember and it's driving you crazy only a thousand times worse.

"Well Sakura, we're here." I look up, and notice we are in fact 'here'. My door is exactly the same as I remember it. Bright green, with my name written in big fancy letters smack in the middle of the door, a shade of pink that matches my hair color perfectly.

"Thanks," I say and watch as they walk away, one by one. I watch Karin drag Sasuke away first, and the pain I feel is in my heart, because he won't ever be mine. Not anymore.

There are three people left: Naruto, Hinata and Kiba.

"Hey, Sak, if you need someone to… explain things to you, let us know. We'll be here to keep you updated. Okay?" Naruto's looking at me with probing eyes and Hinata's looking all worried and I can't help but feel so guilty for thinking they were going to play some sort of mean trick on me.

I smile and nod, and just as they're about to turn away, I launch myself at them and hug them tight, "Thank you," it's about all I can get out, but I think-hope-they understand.

They both grin at me and as they're turning away Hinata says, "It's like riding a bike, Sakura. Don't worry so much about how things will turn out."

I nod even though they can't see me since they're walking away and I have no idea what Hinata's talking about. I'll piece it out later.

I have way too much to piece out right now.

"Saks, you're kind of under witness protection right now, in case you didn't notice, we're all going underground. Since He is back."

"Yeah, I noticed. We're in the layer. No one stays down here if they can help it. If I'm right, it smells like rotten eggs at night."

Kiba snorts, "Yeah. Apparently that's one thing that will never change."

I smile at him and think, Sasuke's my past but Kiba can be my future.

"I just feel like my past has come back to haunt me."

"Haunt, maybe, but I don't think it's back to hurt you."

"_You haunt my dreams."_

"_Dreams tell you what you want. That means what you want is me."_

"Maybe…"

"Listen, I gottta go report to the old hag," he winces, waiting for the explosion.

"Three," I begin with a grin.

"Two," he sighs.

"One."

"INUZUKA!"

I smirk, "It seems you've permanently taken Naruto's spot."

"Unfortunately," he grimaces, "anyway dinner is in half an hour. Be there. Or we'll have to send someone up to your room."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Okay then. I will go eat dinner in half an hour."

"Good." He grins and walks away, one hand in the air, "Bye Saks. Enjoy your thirty minutes."

"Bye. Try not to get killed."

"I won't the hag loves me too much."

"INUZUKA!"

I grin as he winces and begins stuttering apologizes into thin air. When he rounds the corner, I turn around as well and enter my room. The only thing I am certain of right now is that this is red-alert. We'd never be down here otherwise. Sure everyone's got rooms and stuff, but, like I said to Kiba no one stays here unless it's mandatory.

"_Sometimes, things just come to you. Don't think about it. I'm sure you'll remember, or in your case, realize, whatever it is that you're looking for when you least expect for it to pop into your head. Just relax."_

I sigh and lean my head against the wall, taking deep breaths. Relax.

Before I know it someone's banging on my door, so of course I assume it's been half an hour and I've been too caught up being me and freaking out to notice. Oops.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Hold on." In three steps I'm over at my door and yanking it open, ready to give whoever's on the other side a piece of my mind. Even if it is Tsunade. Even if it's Shikamaru or Ino (actually if one came, the other would too. Shika's too lazy to come on his own and Ino would drag him here if she was the one to bring me back).

But it's not any of them.

It's Sasuke.

Sasuke Uchiha.

And Sasuke Uchiha is Karin free.

So of course, whatever profanity I was about to scream, died right there and I probably looked like a fish with my mouth gaping wide open.

"Umm…"

"Hey Sakura. Can I come in?"

I nod, because I am unable to form words of any kind as of yet. He walks in and kind of just awkwardly stands there and sticks his hands in his pockets. His head's down and he shuffles his feet.

"Am I late? For dinner?"

He lifts his head up, "Oh, um, no. Dinner doesn't start for another twenty minutes." His head goes back down.

"Okay… Well is there something you needed to say to me?" Well that was stupid, because obviously there's something he wants to say to me. Why else would he be standing in the middle of my room, awkwardly looking at the faded pink carpet?

"Um, yeah. Listen, Sakura, I just wanted to, you know, apologize. I know you're all… I know you've got your memories back and everything… and… You must be pretty confused… and… I never meant, what I said, over by the park, when I was being a jerk to you. It was, kind of the only way you wouldn't go crazy around us. If we made you hate us, it distorted your memory you know? And the thing Itachi put over you got stronger after time too, and… God this is all coming out wrong. I'm just. I'm sorry."

He looks at the wall, kind of helpless and I'm surprised. One reason is because of his confession, it answered a few of my questions but it also made the whole puzzle bigger. Even though I have my memories back, I'm still not used to the whole thing.

The other reason is because Sasuke Uchiha is never awkward. Ever. He's always calm, cool and collected. He knows just what he's going to say, when and how.

"I," don't know what to say, "um, I don't think I can completely forgive you Sasuke, even though you did it for me, it doesn't cancel out the fact that it really hurt me, made me feel really alone. I was lost and I didn't understand. Don't you think that maybe if you kept pushing on it, whatever Itachi put on me would break? Didn't you miss me? Miss being with me? Didn't you love me? Love me enough to try to do what you could?"

"Sakura… you don't know how hard that was for me. And I tried. I tried to talk to you, bring you back. But you'd go into such fits of confusion and pain. It hurt to see you like that." He's passing now and we're both getting more than a little upset.

"Well I was remembering! It was working!"

"You'd remember and then forget again, not even five minutes later. It was doing more harm than good!"

"WELL YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING!"

"STOP ACTING AS IF THE WHOLE THING WAS SIMPLE! IT WASN'T! YOU WEREN'T THERE!"

"WHY DON'T YOU GO MAKE OUT WITH KARIN IN SOME SECLUDED CLOSET?"

"WHY THE HELL WOULD I DO THAT?"

"BECAUSE YOU'RE HER BOYFRIEND!"

"What?" He stops passing and yelling and looks confused, which of course makes me confused in turn.

"What?"

"I'm not her boyfriend. Karin's, I mean."

"Well you two were acting pretty in love to me."

"Sakura… it's… no. She's just a friend. An annoying friend, but nothing more than that. It was part of the game."

"That stupid game. I just wish I knew what was going on for once."

He sighs and leans against the wall, and I notice, for the first time, that I'm still standing by the half open door. Whoever walked out there would have heard us yelling. Oops again. I sigh and close the door, lean against it and slide down. We're quiet and we don't talk for a few minutes, although it feels like hours.

"I still love you Sakura." The outburst shocks me and I'm sure my mouth's open again. Sure that I'm staring at him like he's crazy.

Then a thousand things rush through my head.

"_I love you Sakura."_

"_Love you too."_

I look up at him.

"_The one thing you'll always have is me."_

"_Promise?"_

"_Of course, hold out your pinky, Pinky."_

He looks so hopeful.

"_Forever."_

And then I think of someone else.

"_And you know what else Saks? I forgive you."_

But for some reason I feel guilty for thinking about him.

"_Okay. Dislikes. Your turn Kiba."_

"_Cats."_

"_Cats?"_

"_Cats."_

Sasuke was my past, but Kiba, Kiba can be my future. Sure he lied a little, but he did it for me. And he definitely didn't lie as much as Sasuke. But then again Sasuke did all that for me too. He's been there for me for a long time. Since I was little, he was there when my parents died.

But then, some part of me argues back, where was he for the past few years?

Which is a very good point. If he cares for me as much as he claims he does, then where's he been?

"Sasuke… I don't know. I don't know if we can ever go back to the way that we were before. I mean, where've you been, huh? Where've you been the last few years?"

He sighs, and drags his hands through his hair, "Don't take this the wrong way Sak, but for the past few years I've kindofbeenstalkingyoufromafar."

"Wait what?" I'm so totally confused right now, not more than usual I guess… I'm kind of getting used to the whole, 'I-have-no-idea-what-the-hell's-going-on' theme that has taken up a permanent role in my life.

"Well, I've been watching you… from afar."

"Umm… example please?" I feel like Ino right now, the girl who never understands anything.

"You know, guarding your window while you sleep, being a few people behind you when you walk home. I was there, that day that Kiba almost ran you over. I nearly killed him after you walked away."

"So you've been stalking me…"

"Yeah… I guess you could say that."

"I don't know whether to be worried about that or flattered."

"I hope you go with flattered."

I smile and it's almost-almost-like how we used to be.

"I missed you Sasuke." It's a whisper, and I look down at my hands so I won't look at his face. I don't know if he even heard it, that is, I don't know until I hear him whisper, "I missed you too, Sakura."

"Listen, Sasuke," I sniff and wipe my nose on my sleeve, "I don't know if we can go back to dating, but maybe we can try to be friends again? Start from there?"

"How about a fresh slate?" He looks hopeful, but I can't forget the past, and it isn't meant to be forgotten, so I shake my head, no and tell him that forgetting things isn't something I want to do, especially now that I've just gotten my memories back.

He nods, "Friends then?"

"The best." I smile up at him. Our relationship is complicated. It's nothing like it used to be, but I still have feelings for him, I know he still loves me, and maybe one day it'll be like it used to be. But then again, there's also a pretty big chance of the opposite happening. Too much has passed between us, including time. Time not very well spent.

"Hey Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"Can we go to dinner now? We were supposed to be there ten minutes ago."

"Oops." I grin at him and drag him down the hall way, not even thinking about where we're going, I just… know.

"Hey guys!" I call out as I plop my plate down next to Kiba's. Sasuke sits on the other side of me and I'm in such a good mood now that Sasuke and I've got this thing kind of settled for the time being. I don't even notice the weird faces they make at me-much. It's not mean weird but, you're-acting-different-and-we-don't-know-how-to-act-around-this-side-of-you faces.

But as usual, you can count on Naruto to lighten the mood, so of course, before we all know it, we've become this huge team against poor idiotic Naruto who is, for the most part, clueless of the fact that he's bringing us back together in his own messed up way.

"Hey Kiba!" He yells, because, technically, whenever Naruto opens his mouth he yells.

"What do you want, Idiot?" Kiba asks, while spooning up some gray mush off of his plate, I have no idea what that's supposed to be.

"Hey only Sasuke has the right to call me Idiot!" I snort. Poor delusional Naruto.

"It's true." Sasuke says, his face now being propped up by his fist. He looks bored and of course, he's already cleaned his plate. He sees me looking and offers up a smirk accompanied by a wink.

I, of course, blush and turn away, kind of thankful Kiba's not looking. Then I wonder why I'm thankful he's not looking. And then I wonder why I'm feeling guilty for thinking about Kiba when Sasuke's just winked at me.

Not wanting to sort this out right now, where everyone can read my facial expressions, I tune back into the conversation at hand.

"Your point, Moron?" Kiba asks, now just jabbing at his food with his spoon.

"Oh, yeah! Why do you call Sakura, 'Saks'? It kind of sounds like socks. You know, the kind you put on your feet."

"While why do all of you call her 'Sak'? It sounds like one sock. Singular. Mines is better. Plural, and all that."

I sigh, of course, this just has to go back to my odd name. Soon it'll go onto my odd hair color.

"Actually," Ino butts in, "both kind of sound like 'sack' and 'sacks'. You know, like a sack of potatoes."

I groan, "Thanks, Piggy."

"Anytime, Forehead." She mock-salutes me and I roll my eyes back at her.

"I'm going to leave before this gets worse, please, feel free to continue this conversation without the main target. Thank you and goodnight. I'm going to bed."

A chorus of 'good-bye' and I'm off, wondering down the halls in the general direction of my room. There are a lot of halls, but eventually they all loop back to one place, so it's easy getting lost, but if you know the area, it's easy getting around too.

I take a side hall, instead of the more direct, main, passage. I'm not sure why, but I do. Instinct I guess, and instinct has never failed me before.

"_Out there, on missions, sometimes, instinct is all you have. And you follow it, because instinct is never wrong."_

So I kind-of hum and walk along, down the hallway until I come to a door. A very familiar door. It's Tsunade's door-her office, essentially. I'm surprised she's still here; she used to do as little as she could get away with and then leave the second she wasn't needed anymore.

I was about to enter when I heard Jiraiya's voice, so of course I stayed outside.

And I'm glad I did.

"She still hasn't uncovered ALL of her memory."

"I know, but she has most of it."

"It's a start, but it's not nearly enough."

"Itachi must have some sort of agenda going on-one of his own."

"I don't' see why he hasn't come back to our side."

"His mission isn't completely over, you know that. He's our most valuable asset. They really think he's a part of them."

"So am I. Have been ever since he took Sakura's memories."

"I know."

"Should we tell her?"

"No. Not yet, let her uncover the last bit on her own. I don't think he could have given them back, even if he wanted to. Anyway, it would only pain her to try to remember. Don't you remember what it was like when Sasuke Uchiha or the other brats tried to communicate with her? She'd start screaming. It looked as if she was possessed."

"I know."

"It's for the best."

"At least it's almost over."

"Yes, that is our only good news."

I walk back to my room in a daze, replaying their conversation in my head. More memories.

"_Rock-a-bye-baby, on the treetop," _

There's more? More that I'm missing. But I knew that, didn't I?

"_When the wind blows, the cradle will rock,_

I knew that pieces of the puzzle weren't fitting together, that there was something missing. I just didn't want to believe it. Now I have to.

"_When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall,_

This leaves me only one choice.

"_And down will come baby, cradle and all."_

I have to find Itachi.

* * *

_I know I haven't updated in a while. And I'm sorry, but for a while I had no idea where this story would go. I started typing this chapter in June; I had half of it done back then._

_I also finished most of this yesterday night, but I fell asleep (and woke up with an overheated laptop and my face indented with keys, not the best way to wake up)._

_Thanks for staying with this, even though I'm a horrible updater, and I probably updated more in when I was in school (which starts soon) rather than now, in summer._

_Hope you liked this chapter!_


	20. Chapter 19

_Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto._

**Not a Fairy Tale**

* * *

There was a stupid curfew placed on the entire facility, well to be more accurate, there was a new, stupid, curfew placed on the facility, where before curfew was midnight, now it was nine, sharp. I had this amazing plan to find Itachi, but as soon as I learned about the new rules, my plan was, of course, momentarily shut down, so here I am, laying on my bed and wondering what that last little bit of my memory I'm missing is.

"_She can't know. She just can't!"_

"_Why not? She's a grown up now. She's survived a lot, she can survive this."_

"_No, she can't. This will break her."_

"_What? What is it?"_

_Tsunade and Jiraiya look at me with the look of a deer caught in headlights._

"_Sakura!"_

"_It's nothing."_

_I glare at them, tell me, what is it you're trying to hide Tsunade?_

_She sighs._

"_You're going to die Sakura."_

"_What?"_

_I'm going to die? I don't want to die, there's so many things I still have to do._

_Sasuke._

_What about him?_

_What about Kiba?_

_My friends?_

_What about me?_

"_I'm sorry, this is why I didn't want to tell you."_

"_She was going to have to find out sooner or later."_

"_WHY? Why am I going to die?"_

"_We don't know, it was in the prophesy, a girl with pink hair and green eyes."_

"_She is to die when the Great War reaches its breaking point."_

"_No… No! You're lying!"_

_I'm crying._

"_Sakura…"_

"_Get away from me!"_

_I run out the door. I run out of the facility._

_I run and run until Itachi Uchiha grabs hold of me and whispers things in my ear._

_Whispers promises about being safe and sound, whispers lies…_

_Until another man, one with a swirly face knocks me out._

_His name is Toby._

_I never get to say goodbye._

"I'm going to die." Suddenly the little bit of memory is back and I'm sure that I'm going to die soon, but here's the thing, I'm not afraid. It's like I've known my entire life, or at least for a while, that this is going to happen, it's like I've gotten used to this fact and... I'm ready, I'm ready to die. So I sneak out, out of the facility as soon as I get the chance, my plan to find Itachi newly renewed, after all, I'm not going to die until the prophesy said so, might as well get some answers, try to tip my scales because something inside me tells me that I'm still missing some little part, and that missing part lies with Itachi.

_"I'll always be around, all you need to do is look for me."_

It takes longer than I hoped it would to find Itachi, the sun is rising and I know they'll let me sleep in, believing the sheer exhaustion and shock from the past few days, weeks, months has finally caught up to me. They won't look for me until at least noon, I'm sure of it, yet a little part of me pushes for me to go faster, faster, faster, because when they will notice (and they will eventually notice), they will send their fastest after me and after years of not training, I am slow, slower than I used to be, slower than kids who haven't even fully tapped into their potential.

Definitely slower than Lee, even slower than Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba.

_"Running is like flying, the faster you go, the more exhilarated you feel." _

I blink the sun away from my eyes and all of a sudden he's in front of me, it's like he's a ghost, popping up out of nowhere, ready to take me away. But he isn't a ghost, he's Itachi. Tsunade and Jiraiya trust him. He's on our side. He's on my side.

It takes me a few seconds to stop running and I manage to stop about three feet away from him and all we do is just look at each other and I wonder what life would have been if this war wasn't going on, if my memories hadn't been taken away.

_"If things were normal..."_

_"If things were normal, Sak, we wouldn't be who we are now."_

"I missed you too, you know. A long time ago, you were like a brother to me too," I whisper and let the wind carry my words over to him, I allow the sadness to fall over my face so he knows just how much it hurts, "I know I'm going to die. Will you unlock the rest now please?"

_"If you ever need a big brother, I'm your man, I'll beat those boys into submission, no one can touch our beautiful Sakura, hold on, Sak! Where are you going? I need to wink at you like the perverted old men do. Sak? Sakura!"_

"Are you sure? You can still get away Sakura, you can pretend like this never happened, go home. They're trying everything in their power to protect you, to keep you from dying. I can't protect you from this Sakura, I can't make this thing disappear." I close my eyes and sense that there's a little bit of sadness in Itachi's low voice too, he doesn't want me to die any more than the rest of them.

_"'Tachi! I hurt my elbow, will you kiss it better? Sasuke said he wouldn't!"_

_"Well what a mean little boy, seems like I have to teach my brother some manners, huh Sakura? Alright, come here, oh what a pretty band-aid."_

_"It's a princess! Do you think I can be a princess when I grow up?"_

_"'Course Sak, you can be anything you want to be."_

_"Then I wanna be a warrior princess because they're tough and pretty. Like the whole package!"_

_"Yeah, Sak, like the whole package. Now get over here so I can kiss your boo-boo better!"_

"I know, please, just give me my memory back. It has to be done," he looks so crestfallen, I notice as he sighs and nods. His long hair getting into his face. I don't know why but all of a sudden I've crossed the space between us and I'm hugging him, "Thank you," I manage to whisper in his ear, straining on my tippy-toes I've just barely managed to reach it but it seemed like the right thing to do. He understands, I don't want to be a coward anymore, I don't want to give into the pain, settle back into the darkness, I don't want to not know. I want to fight. I want to be strong.

He sighs once more and takes my hand, tells me to look into his eyes, tells me he'll always be my brother and that he'll be gone when I wake up, but I'll know what to do and if I need him, I'll know where to find him too.

"Wait," I say, just before he begins, "Wait," this time it's a whisper, "Just tell me... Why? Why was I starting to remember again? Is it because the block was getting old? Worn out? What about Tsunade? Jiraiya? Kakashi? Why could I remember them? Why didn't it hurt?"

"Silly girl, you could have lifted it at any time. All you had to do was accept everything for the way it was. As for those old farts, well, a select few were... Let's use the word immune to my particular abilities."

Before I can get anything else out, protest any of his words, ask more questions, I feel my world tilt, feel myself tilt as the darkness surrounds me once more, but this won't be the blissful peace that I've known in the past, no, this darkness will bring haunting memories from the past to the present where I will be forced to deal with them.

_"Sakura, sweetheart, there's something you have to know."_

_"Mommy and Daddy don't have much time left okay?"_

_"Why? Where are you going?"_

_"Listen, honey, listen, there will come a time-"_

_"In the future-"_

_"Where you will have the chance to save a lot of lives-"_

_"When that time comes, go to the backyard-"_

_"Buried beneath the tree will be the answer to your question." _

I wake up on the ground. That's it? That can't be it, there has to be more. I look up, expecting Itachi to be there, be around here somewhere, but he's gone and it takes me a moment to remember he told me he would leave.

"That jerk."

Well at least now I have a destination. Which equals more running. Judging by the sun, I'd say it's roughly eight in the morning which leaves me only about four more hours until I become a hunted woman. At least I hope four more hours, who knows with those people, they might already be out looking for me.

_"The power to be strong, and the wisdom to be wise, all these things will come to you in time."_

_"Are you quoting the Lion King?"_

_"Tarzan. I'm quoting Tarzan, get it right Sasuke."_

It takes me forever and a half, but I finally make it back to my old house, I'm sweaty and out of breath and probably all red in the face while my hair is sticking everywhere and I may or may not have some bugs in my teeth but none of that matters because I'm standing in front of my house.

_"Here we are! Home sweet home."_

I don't know how long I stand out there, but I can't seem to move away. The house looks old and abandoned now, the front porch sagging a little, a few windows are broken, the paint is chipping. It looks neglected, but still I'm tempted to go inside, even though I know that I'll be disappointed with what I see, because my mom's paintings won't be on the walls, there won't be pictures of us anywhere.

It's not really my house, not anymore, and it hasn't been, not for a while.

So I suck my breath in and walk around back, the grass hasn't been cut and I try not to think about all the things living inside of it. Would snakes live in tall grass like this in the middle of a now rundown neighborhood? Were there tarantulas? I really should have paid more attention in school.

_"Okay, so the mailbox is safe and the tree is safe, okay?"_

_"Yeah, yeah, Sak, we get it. So whose it?"_

_"Silly Naruto, you are! Run Sasuke! Run!"_

Oddly enough, there is a spot that hasn't been overgrown. It lies right beneath the great tree I grew up climbing and hiding in. It's like that little spot has been waiting for me to come back and take away the last of any claim I have to this residence.

I use my hands to dig, I don't have a shovel or a trowel or anything and I honestly don't mind. It doesn't take long before I see the top of the box and it doesn't take much longer for me to dig it out.

When I open it, I see a little note.

The prophesy.

Written in my mother's handwriting.

**There will be a child born, her hair pink as blossoms, her eyes green as grass.**

**Her birth will be marked by the beginning of Spring.**

**She will be wild, she will be free.**

**And for a short time,**

**happy too.**

**But this child will come into this world with a set purpose.**

**She will be important, instrumental,**

**invaluable.**

**There will be a war, it will drag years and years, no end in sight,**

**until one day, when it will end like it began, suddenly.**

**The end of the war marks**

**the end of her.**

**The child of Spring shall be laid to rest before Winter falls.**

Seeing my death spelled out so clearly in front of me, although it reconfirms most of what I already know, it also made everything more finite, more real. I just wished...

The grass swayed and the birds stopped chirping, so I turned around, instinct driving me, saving me just like it had before.

"Hello Sakura, have you made anymore of those silly wishes?"

_"I wish..."_

"Have you come to collect me?"

"Collect," he mused, "what a simple term, but the best term for what I've come to do, so yes, in a sense I have come to collect you. You haven't answered my question Sakura."

"Very observant, someone should give you a medal," the lone eye that I could see from behind his mask flashed with something along contempt, hatred, but that was fine with me, I hated him too. "Why? Why do you want me?" The question just slipped out, and I cover my mouth with my free hand, I hadn't meant to ask him that, I couldn't show any sign of weakness.

"I see you have found the prophesy. Even I haven't read it. I only know it through word of mouth. Would you mind terribly if I...?" He reaches to grab it, and wordlessly I hand it over, he knows it anyway.

The moment it touches his gloved fingertips, the letter burns, a flame that rages for only an instant.

I can only stare at him as he stares at the place where the prophesy once was.

"I should have guessed, your parents would put a protection on it, wouldn't they? A rather risky one it seems, what if you'd never found it? What if I or someone else had found it for you? But I suppose your parents were desperate, well come along now," he half turns as if to leave, waiting for me to follow.

"You're wrong you know," I make no move towards him.

"Hmm? How so?" He asks in a way one might ask when speaking to an irate child, to someone inferior to him.

"My parents weren't desperate. They believed in me to find it first," with those words and a provoking smirk, I walk past him, wishing I could see the look on his face, "Well, are you coming or not?" I call over my shoulder.

"Do not rush me Child of Spring, I am coming, although, if you'd hoped your friends were coming, well I wouldn't bank your hopes on that. They're all... Well let's use the term 'engaged' shall we? It seems so eloquent. So... Sophisticated. Yes, engaged it is."

She sighed, knowing that he was toying with her, that this information (true or not, although she doubted that this was untrue, what had he to lose? Besides, it was about one now, they should have been here for her were they not 'engaged') was meant to through her off, to plead with him.

To show him submission.

Well he had another thing coming.

"Well, let's just get the freshest round of torture over with, shall we?"

_"I could say goodbye"_

"Yes," he said with a sick satisfaction, "let's."

* * *

_Oh, wow, how long has it been since I've updated?_

_I suck. I really do._

_I'm sorry guys, I have no idea what happened. I guess I kind of needed a break._

_But I'm back! Yay!_

_Let me know what you guys think. I'm a little rusty._

_It's my mom that all of you still faithful to me (thanks for that, by the way, for staying with this story, and me) should be thanking, she's been harassing me, saying I don't write anymore and so yeah. I thought that this was the thing I would focus my energy on._

_Anyway, I own nothing, I think I have a disclaimer at the top but I'm too tired to check (Ugh, whoever told me that AP classes were a good idea lied, but hey, senior year!) and all that good stuff... _

_Yeah... I'm going to go upload this now and maybe stare at cookies that I can't eat as a punishment for taking this long to update this story._

_Everyone can yell at me, I will accept it, and I will embrace it, and then tomorrow or maybe the day after, I'll add another story because the guilt will crush me._


	21. Chapter 20

**Not a Fairy Tale**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything._

* * *

I really shouldn't be surprised that it's Tobi that is behind this whole plan. I should know better than to underestimate the idiot but I did underestimate him and now here I am; in chakra cuffs, being led to his hideout.

As Tobi leads me to whatever bunker he's planning to torture me in, I can't help but worry about my friends. I know they're capable of taking care of themselves and that _I _left _them _to fend for themselves, I really I wouldn't have been helping, I'd have probably made it worse, and besides, it wasn't like we were that close anymore.

_"Sock."_

_"Socks."_

_"I'm telling you, her nickname sounds like Sack or Sacks you idiots."_

Yet here I am, more worried for them than for myself.

Maybe it's because I know what's going to happen.

In the end, there is only one outcome and no matter what anyone tries to do, it will fall the way the prophesy states that it will.

_"No one can change fate."_

"You are really going to like my nice little hidey-hole, Sakura. I've been wanting to bring you there for a while now, but that Uchiha brat has been getting in my way." He looks around as he's speaking to me, as if waiting for an ambush to fall from the sky or close in from the trees around us.

"Sasuke?" I question, looking around too, half expecting him to pop out.

_"I'm going to be here for you Sakura, no matter what."_

"No. Itachi. He's been thwarting me for months. Years, really. He's been playing double agent."

_"Look underneath the underneath."_

"Oh."

For the rest of our little walk, Tobi is quiet and despite my probing, he barely even looks at me again which is stupid. I know I'm his prisoner and all, but shouldn't he at least look at me every once in a while to make sure I'm not plotting something.

It's not until we get into his stupid throne room that he turns to acknowledge me again.

"Sakura, dear, why don't you take a seat?"

I scan the room, which has barely any furnishings. Some tapestries. A table with a map. Guards. His throne (which is huge and looks to be made out of velvet and gold). The stairs leading up to his throne.

I raise a brow at him, "Where, at your feet?"

"That would be the best spot, yes." He says, going to sit on his heightened post and offering an arrogant smirk.

"Can we just get the torture over with?"

There are exactly two ways this can go and Tobi, well he knows neither. How do I know that? Simple. I'm the only one who knows.

The prophesy told me.

"Ah, but my darling. That would be no fun at all. Don't you want to wait for your friends?"

No, I do not want to wait for my friends, I want this to be done by the time they get here.

"No. I want to be done with this. Don't you think it's dragged on long enough?"

With every word I say, I'm surprised with how confident I've become. I'm not that sniveling girl anymore who tortured herself every single day. I'm not the girl who is torn between Sasuke and Kiba. I'm not the girl who is broken.

With every minute, since I've recovered my memories, I've become more like myself. I'm not going to be the girl I was before my memories were taken and I sure as hell am not going to be like the girl I was after they were gone.

I'm going to be the new Sakura Haruno.

Tobi, however, just smiles and shakes his head, "It's too bad I call all the shots, then, isn't it?" He turns and faces one of the guards, "Untie her. It's not like she can really do anything."

Arrogant ass. This is going to be his first mistake.

Actually, his first mistake was starting this war, despite knowing what the prophesy stated.

As soon as I'm free, I examine my torn, dirtied, nails and pretend like I've got all the time in the world.

So you can't fight fire with fire, but maybe if I'm arrogant enough it'll spark him into action.

_"Dearest Sakura, you will only end this war one of two ways."_

_I look at the old lady. I have no idea who she is but she seems so familiar, "And what are those ways?"_

_"Either you kill Tobi by using a very special jutsu-"_

_"What jutsu? I don't know any 'very special' jutsus."_

_"Listen here girly, let me finish a sentence why don't you?"_

_"Well so-rry." I draw out my words and roll my eyes. Old people. _

_"Insolence," She mutters, "Now listen, the jutsu will be something you just know. Understand? You were born for this and when the time is right, the power to use it and wield it will be yours. But only when the time is right."_

_"O-kay."_

Maybe then this jutsu will want to make an appearance. I try to call for it inwardly. If the strength to do this is inside of me and I'm waiting for this right moment, well, why the hell isn't it now? I'm standing here, completely unbound, waiting for it to show up.

This is the definition of perfect timing.

Yet here I am with nothing.

I get the universe is supposed to work in mysterious ways but, really, in the face of a war, now is not the time to be mysterious.

"You know, I liked you better when you were acting stupid. What was with all of that 'Tobi is a good boy' shit?"

"A very good question to ask Sakura; perhaps you are as smart as people claim you to be."

I just tap my foot and cross my arms, waiting for an answer.

"Well, my dear, everyone took me for granted. I knew exactly what all of my troops were thinking. It was...invaluable." He grins as if he's made this huge joke.

Invaluable, haha, someone get me a tissue, I'm crying. This joke is so bad it brings tears to my eyes.

"So are you going to show me what's behind mask number one or am I just going to have to wait to find out?"

"Unfortunately, darling, this is just something you are going to have to die without ever knowing."

"And why is that?"

"Because he thinks he's the shit and that the mask makes him look all macho."

A familiar voice speaks behind me and my stomach drops because he shouldn't be here. He can't get hurt because of me.

"Don't worry, Saks, I hate the mask too. It's stupid if you ask me but Tobi, well he likes it and I suppose if it makes him happy, then he can keep it."

I feel something building inside of me but I don't know what it is.

Him being here is confusing me. Something feels off. Wrong.

Like the world has done a one eighty and left me to hang upside down.

"Kiba? What are you doing here? Where is everyone else? Sasuke? Naruto? Are they still fighting?"

He grins, "Yeah, they're still fighting."

I let out a breath that I didn't know I was holding.

For a second there, I thought Kiba had been part of them.

He walks past me and up the steps to Tobi's throne, "Get off my seat," He says and my heart drops to my stomach when Tobi complies.

_"My mom saved me."_

No.

_"I hate cats."_

He's supposed to be my friend.

_"I forgive you."_

He's supposed to be...he's not supposed to be this!

_"It took me a long time, but I forgave myself."_

He can't be!

_"I'm sorry I hit you with my car!"_

"Kiba?"

_"That old hag hates me."_

If I believe hard enough, will this not be true?

_"This is Akamaru."_

Maybe I hit my head or Tobi's doing something to me or, or, anything but this!

"Yes Sakura?" He asks, swinging his legs up on the throne so that he's sitting on it sideways.

"I-What is this? Why are you here? Are you with them?" The last part of my question comes out as a whisper, I'm scared and it shows it but what I'm most afraid is that the answer will be yes, "I don't understand."

"Silly Sakura, 'Course I'm with them. I get to be the leader!"

"But you are my friend." I don't know when I moved, but I notice I'm standing on the steps now.

"Acting, my dear."

What is with bad guys and calling me by pet names?

"Acting?"

"Yup. What? Did you really think my mom let me play in the streets? She wasn't inept, you know. She died in this stupid war. She died because of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Do I have to spell this out for you?" Kiba is getting frustrated and I don't know why, if anyone should be getting angry, it's me. People keep lying to me or hiding the truth and I just want it to end, "She died the same night as your parents. She was their backup."

"Oh."

"Oh." He mocks, "Well, your friends should be here soon. Any minute, in fact. Can I even call them your friends? I mean, it's not like they're really your friends any more. When was the last time you had a decent conversation with them-not counting either the short conversation you've had with Hinata and Naruto or the little reunion you had yesterday?"

What can I say? He's right.

My silence leaves him time to gloat while I think.

So if Tobi's not the leader, then that would explain why I didn't feel the jutsu building inside of me, but I don't feel it now either, which means Kiba isn't the leader.

He's most likely a decoy. Either being forced into doing this or really on the other side.

No, he can't be the leader. There's no way he's strong enough to defeat the person who started this war.

That's when it hits me.

Akamaru's missing. Kiba would do anything for that dog.

"Well as long as we're talking about friends," My voice comes out more defiant than I thought it could, "Where's your bestie?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where's Akamaru?"

"Busy." He says but he glances to the left, at Tobi, before answering.

So Tobi has something to do with it.

Kiba isn't on his team, he can't be. We're both just stuck here.

_This time she rolls her eyes, "The second way is if you die at the hands of the leader. So make sure you stay alive until you die by his hand."_

_"So if I die by his hand what will happen? Will he whither up and die too? Will this be like Harry Potter when Harry dies and revives to battle Voldemort?"_

_Her face is hard, stern, set in its wrinkles but for a moment she softens and that scares me, "No. This will not be like Harry Potter. Your death will unleash the jutsu. It will bind everyone who wished for this war to your soul. They will die with you."_

_"So I have to die, huh?"_

_"Yes. It is what you were born to do. I'm sorry Sakura."_

_"It's not your fault."_

A door clangs open behind me and I jump, I notice Kiba flinch as well but Tobi just stands there, arms crossed as someone's footsteps echo throughout the room.

I turn around, and know, this is the person I've been waiting for, the one I'm meant to kill.

_"I just came to help you out."_

"Kabuto?"

* * *

_Well hey guys. I don't know if any of my old followers still read this fic. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated. Honestly I keep telling myself that I will but then I don't._

_However, I swear I will finish this fic. It's almost done, just one or two chapters more._

_I'M DETERMINED._

_Let me know if you see any mistakes- I'm bad at proofreading and by that I mean I haven't._


	22. Chapter 21

**Not a Fairy Tale**

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything. If I owned Naruto, certain people would be alive and not dead._

* * *

I'm confused. Didn't the old hag say I have to kill Tobi? That he was the one this was meant for? So why Kabuto? What changed? Could she have been wrong?

"Why do you sound so shocked, my dear?" He asks with a smirk. If there's anyone cockier than Tobi, it's got to be this dude.

"Well honestly, I was expecting someone with tattoos, muscles and a mustache." I say, trying to mask my confusion and Kiba guffaws in the background.

My answer, however, only manages to make him angry and swiftly, so quickly that I barely see it coming, he backhands me. It hurts. A lot.

I spit out blood and glare at him, it really wasn't necessary for him to do that.

Well maybe it was, for his ego.

Honestly, I just want to be done with this.

I close my eyes and take a deep breath and wait for the answer to come to me. Wait for the jutsu I know I have inside of me, but just it doesn't come and by this time, I'm freaking out. I felt it earlier, I'm sure of it. So why doesn't it, I don't know, arrive?

With my body's obvious failure, I go for the second best option. Guys like Kabuto need to be the one to take the target out. He will thrive in my death.

Until he dies. Himself.

Either way it's a lose-lose situation for both of us.

And I'm ready for that.

I will be the martyr, the catalyst to end this war.

"Well? Are we going to fight it out or something?"

Kabuto grins, "Are you so eager for your death?"

"Actually, I'm eager for yours," I say, determined to be defiant until the end.

The jerk just keeps smiling. He tilts his head as he examines me as if I'm some sort of twisted experiment and then he chuckles, "My dear, you cannot kill me so easily. I am, for lack of a better word, immortal," Great so we've reached the long, drawn out plan or speech or lecture that villains are so fond of, "As I'm sure you know, I was apprenticed to Orichmaru and he was very fond of experimenting."

"Yes, yes, and you experimented as well and then you got this so called immortal body."

"Do not rush me!" He snaps and gets ready to backhand me again, but this time I'm ready. I grab his arm and twist it.

Of course he doesn't enjoy getting his pride wounded, not one bit, but at least we're hurrying things along now.

He twists with his arm and it's like he doesn't feel any pain. He dislocates his own shoulder to hold a kunai to my throat, "Now my dear, I suggest you let me finish."

"How about no?" I can feel that feeling again, inside of me, boiling in my gut.

The feeling that says that this is the man I must kill.

I can feel Kiba's eyes on me and I know he's trying to silently plead, to beg me to stop. He doesn't want me to die.

Silly boy, don't you know I'm going to die anyway?

I think I've got the hang of this now. Danger must be the key. I responded to when Kabuto entered because he'd been behind me, close to me for the first time and it had ebbed again because he hadn't done anything life-threatening.

Great. I'd hoped this would be more of a this-is-the-guy-kill-him thing where I unleash all of my powers without a fight, but looks like I'm not that lucky.

"Too bad," He says and begins his story, "I was nothing but a silly apprentice to that man for many years, but at his death thanks to your one and only Sasuke, how is he by the way? I heard you two had a nasty break up. Pity." He's smiling, like he enjoys this so I school my face into a blank mask. I'm not going to let him have any pleasure.

"Anyway, I continued my master's quest for a perfect body. Luckily for me, I'm quite a bit smarter than him and realized, why steal a body when I can enhance my own? So I did."

"I'm sure it was very easy for you," I state, letting the sarcasm drip from my words.

"I assure you, darling, it was not. You see, I had to go deep underground to do my experimenting. Your darling ex still believes me to be dead."

I glance over at Tobi wondering where he comes into play and Kabuto sees this, "He's just a nobody worker brat I picked up, don't you worry about him."

But the gears in my head have already begun to turn.

Tobi was Kabuto's alias. That old hag didn't get it wrong. He was just using Tobi to get what he wanted, what he needed.

"Alright, I'll worry about you. How about we get started already? I'm tired of all this idle chit-chat. I'm not a very patient person, you see."

"As you wish."

So I get ready to fight.

"Sakura," Kiba starts, his voice a warning. He looks like he's about to come down to where I stand with Kabuto but Tobi grabs him by the back of his jacket.

"Oh no, lover boy, you and I are going to dance."

"I'm not a very good dancer, sorry to disappoint you. But fighting, fighting is something I can do pretty well."

I'm still rusty, I know that, so I stick to the defensive, waiting, biding my time.

I would let him kill me right away but I don't know how this jutsu is going to respond. Will it just kill its target or blast everyone? Will it kill Kiba accidently?

Speaking, or thinking of Kiba, I also want to make sure he survives his fight with Tobi. I don't want him to die.

Casualties are not in my plan.

"Aw, come now Sakura, fight back. Aren't you the one who wanted this?"

I grunt and manage to land a punch. It shatters one of his ribs and his movements slow down only momentarily before he speeds right back up.

Curious, I aim at the same place again. His rib shatters once more. Once more he slows. Once more he speeds back up.

"Regeneration. Isn't it wonderful?" He asks, smugly, and manages to get a particularly painful punch on the side of my face, right where my ear is and the world around me shakes, the ringing in my ear causes me to miss what he says next and I can feel something sticky flowing down the side of my neck.

Probably blood.

But I discover something as well.

I can heal too.

I can actually feel the tissues in my ear knitting themselves back together, slowly. It's not as fast as his method but it works.

Probably some prophesy doing.

On the other side of the room I hear Kiba cry out but I can't turn to look because right now Kabuto is my main focus.

I make a deal with myself, if it looks like Kiba's losing, I will die, right then and there.

Until then I can only hope that he will win. I believe in him but I haven't seen how good of a fighter he is, I don't know what Tobi is capable of.

I block another attack from Kabuto, it seems like he's going to be focusing on hand-on-hand combat and realize that while I've been planning things out, I haven't been hit once.

It seems like I work better on auto-pilot so I let my mind wander, focusing on anything but the man I'm fighting.

Worrying about my new old friends and about how the last thing I want to do is to die.

I'm young. I should get to live my life. Make bad decisions, make good decisions.

Fall in love.

Get married.

Have kids.

Life isn't fair, and I'm pushing back tears because everything I want, I will never be able to get.

For a second I'm dizzy with the feeling of loss and self-pity, but then I shove it all down.

It's better not to think of it.

I'm dying to save lives.

If I don't die then they won't be able to do all of those things.

That's not fair either.

What's one life compared to potentially hundreds?

Nothing.

So I fight on.

_I watch Sasuke as he paces back and forth along the length of the training room, eyeing me._

_"Are you ready for the pain of your lifetime?"_

_"Bring it on pretty boy," I say, determined to beat him up. Sure he's got me on height and weight but he underestimates me and I'm going to beat him to the ground._

_"Alright let's see if a little girl like you can pin a nice strong man like me."_

_He beats at his chest in true Tarzan fashion and I rush at him._

_He grabs my arm and twists me around; pushing me onto the floor, he pins me down with one knee, "I thought you could beat me?" He asks with a smirk and I just puff the air out of my cheeks._

_"Shut up, Sasu-cakes."_

_Sasuke helps me up and demonstrates what I did wrong, positioning my body and his so I can see step by step where I went wrong, and what I did right (which was absolutely nothing)._

_"I saw you a mile coming, I knew what you were going to do. You were to predictable. Try again."_

_I go back to my former position and rush at him again. This time, instead of planning on punching him, I only make it look like I am._

_Quickly, I disappear and show up above him, but he's still too fast and he grabs me and pins me again._

_"Good, you tried a different approach, one that might work if you're against Naruto or someone equally stupid, but you're leaving yourself too exposed."_

_"So what do I do Wise One?"_

_He just chuckles and helps me stand once more before he goes through the motions again._

_Three tries later, I'm exhausted and he hasn't broken a sweat._

_"This isn't fair! You're too big for me to beat you. Can we take a break now?"_

_"No. Not until you pin me down."_

_I groan, "Sasuke! I have to go home for dinner soon."_

_I try pouting, usually that works._

_"No."_

_"Boo!"_

_"Come at me Sakura."_

_"Fine!"_

_I return to my stance, swearing to myself that when I'm bigger I will be able to kick Sasuke Uchiha's butt._

_I run up to him and I know he's expecting me to do something unexpected so I just punch him in the face, putting all the force I have into it and I'm right, he doesn't expect it._

_He stumbles back with the force of my punch and I swiftly kick his legs out from under him and sit on his chest._

_"I win."_

_"Owe," He says, rubbing his eye, and when he looks up, it's obvious there's a black eye on its way._

_I giggle, "I'm sorry, that looks like it hurts."_

_Immediately Sasuke shoves me off of him and puffs up his chest, "This is nothing! I am an Uchiha man and Uchiha men don't cry on silly things like this."_

_"You're seven."_

_"Shut up. I can't believe I got beat up by a girl."_

_"Do you want me to give you a pair of black eyes, pirate boy?"_

_He glowers and leaves the room, "Let's go home."_

_I cackle as I follow him, I can't wait to tell everyone I beat up Sasuke Uchiha._

_"Don't tell anyone, okay?"_

_"Sure," I say, wondering who to tell first. Itachi? Ino? Mom? Dad?_

_"Seriously Sakura!"_

_"What will you give me?"_

_"What?"_

_"If I stay quiet you have to give me something for my pain and suffering."_

_"What pain and suffering?" He asks, turning around in the hall, "You're just holding onto a secret!"_

_"Exactly."_

_"Fine," He says as we continue walking towards the healer room, "If you don't tell anyone, then I'll give you all my pudding for a year."_

_"Two."_

_"Six months."_

_"Three years."_

_"Fine."_

_"Yes!"_

_"Oh Sasuke, what happened to you?"_

_"I punched him Tsunade!"_

_"Sak-u-ra!"_

_"Oops. Sorry. Two years!"_

I see Kiba kill Tobi just as Kabuto pins me to the ground. I cough up blood and I can feel the jutsu overpowering myself.

I'm slowly slipping out of myself.

_"What a pretty ribbon Sakura!"_

_"Thanks Mommy! Ino gave it to me. To make my forehead look pretty."_

Becoming someone else.

_I wish people would just stop-stop whispering about me. _

_I am not crazy!_

Losing memories.

_"Naruto. That is mine. Give it back."_

Forgetting people.

_"I love you Sakura."_

_"I love you too Sasuke!"_

Who am I?

_"Sak? That sounds like sock."_

_"Saks is just the plural form!"_

"SAKURA!" The yell is ripped out of a boy with ebony hair and dark eyes. Something tells me that he shouldn't be here.

I wonder who Sakura is.

I wonder who those people are, the people running towards me.

They look so familiar.

Suddenly a brown-haired is there in my vision.

He attacks the man in front of me and I watch the white-haired man kill him without a second thought.

"KIBA," I hear a voice scream out and I realize it's mine. That's my voice but I don't know the boy, do I?

Why am I crying?

What is this pain?

It starts in my heart but pretty soon it spreads.

It rips through my skin and all I hear is that boy, Kiba's scream in my ears as I lose my vision.

The last thing I hear is the other boy calling out, "Sakura," Over and over again.

The man on top of me screams and I do too because this pain hurts way too much.

I can't take it.

_"I said I'd always protect you."_

So I let go, let everything turn black.

_"I'm sorry I failed, Sakura."_

Sakura. Such a pretty name. Is it mine?

* * *

_Urgh, I hate my earlier writing guys._

_I know, I know, the bad guy isn't the same one as in the manga but come on, you guys totally didn't expect this to happen._

_By the by, I finally caught up on that and let me just say...It killed me. I am dead._

_Sakura is also dead, by the by._

_ANYWAY ONTO THE IMPORTANT STUFF!_

_EPILOGUE. YES OR NO? _

_Also, thank you for reading!_


	23. Epilogue

Not a Fairy Tale

_Disclaimer: I own nothing_

* * *

When he closes his eyes, he can still see the blur of colors as enemy nin swoop in on their mission to find Sakura.

He still hears the sickening crunch of Neji being run through as a double bladed sword that's almost twice his size pierces through him. He can hear Hinata scream as she suffers the same fate as her cousin. Sees Naruto drop by her body, trying to get her to wake up while knowing that she never will. He sees Kiba die at the hands of Kabuto and the knowledge that he's weak burns through his veins.

He can't save his friends.

He watches Sakura explode. Sees Kabuto's body burn, feels the heat rush over him again. He's ashamed to say, in her final moments, when she was shining with fury and fire, he averted his eyes. He remembers when he looked back, the white-haired man's body was still there but Sakura's was gone and he can still feel that rising bubble of hope that rushed through him when he saw she wasn't there. When called out her name, believing he'd be able to see her there, still alive. He remembers naively for her until Naruto gives him a black eye and tells him, sobbing, that she's gone.

Gone forever.

When he opens his eyes, he's assaulted by the colors of a world without her. The day of her funeral is bright and sunny and he thinks it's ironic that a bright day like today is for the funeral of a girl that he loves, of two of his best friends that he has known forever and the boy who swore that to protect the girl he loves when he couldn't be there to do it himself.

On one side Naruto is sobbing, unashamedly, his tears huge drops that fall at his feet, dampening the ground below him. But on his other side, there's Tenten who takes things silently, watching with stony eyes as her boyfriend is buried.

Inside of himself, he can feel a storm churning. He wants to cry, unleash everything inside of him like Naruto is doing but there's something holding him back and he watches with cold eyes, detached from the world; just like Tenten.

He wonders why he gets the honor of living when so many others, others with more to live for than he, died.

It isn't fair.

Life isn't fair.

He can feel a rebellious little teardrop make a path down his face as he says his last goodbyes to his friends.

As he walks away, he still can't believe that this is real. This is reality.

His friends are really dead.

The enemy is gone.

He's alive.

There will be other missions, he knows, there will be more deaths, he knows.

He will die, he knows.

But that pain will only be physical.

Inside, right now, other than grief, he feels...

Nothing.

He is empty, hollow on the inside.

Like someone has carved him out from the inside.

Like someone tore his heart out and it's like the ache he felt when he had to leave Sakura years ago, when she couldn't say his name without crying out in pain, only way worse.

He wonders if all of those things people say are true, that she's watching him from above, that she'll always be with him.

He doesn't believe it, he doesn't believe any of it.

Sure, her memories are with him but he doesn't feel her presence.

He turns to Tenten and she's looking at him with an understanding that Naruto lacks, because unlike them he buys into it, believes that Hinata is watching over him in some high-above plane.

Tenten's eyes reflect the storm that is raging within him and she knows, she knows better than anyone there what he's feeling.

The nod to acknowledge one another, but do nothing more than that.

Today is a day for grieving.

Tomorrow will be too.

So will the next day.

Maybe it will get better, maybe it won't.

But he knows one thing, he can lean on her and she can lean on him, and they won't be totally alone.

He won't be totally alone.

* * *

_Alright guys, here's the epilogue. Just remember, you wanted one._

_YOU WANTED ALL THIS SADNESS AND TORTURE._

_Special thanks to everyone who read/reviewed/followed/favorited this story._

_If you want to give me a prompt and/or a pairing, I will love you and write it eventually._


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